Jail for speeding driver who killed Cambridge cyclist

A Cambridgeshire driver who had just overtaken another car at speed when he struck and killed a cyclist has been jailed for three years.

Miles Polite, aged 28 and from Burwell, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to causing the death by dangerous driving of 44 year old cyclist Stewart Milne from Cambridge.

The fatal crash happened at around 10.20pm on the evening of 12 December 2017 on Trumpington High Street, at the junction with Maris Lane.

Polite, who stopped at the scene and called emergency services, told a call handler: “I hit the guy, he was going across the pedestrian crossing but it was a green light.”

Mr Milne, a father of three and a keen cyclist, was taken to hospital but died from his injuries two days later.

In an interview at the roadside, Polite told police officers that he “might have been going a bit too fast.”

Subsequent enquiries revealed that he would have been driving at around 45mph in a 30mph zone.

Witnesses also told officers that shortly before the crash, Polite, who was driving a yellow Ford Focus, had overtaken another vehicle at speed by entering a right turn-only lane.

Besides the jail sentence, Polite has also been banned from driving for four and a half years.

PC Sean Redman of Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “This is an incredibly tragic case which sadly resulted in the death of a man who has left behind a loving partner and young family.

“At the time of the collision, it was dark and rainy and Polite was driving over the designated speed limit.

“This highlights just how vital it is for motorists drive to the conditions of the road in order to prevent awful instances like this from occurring.”

He added: “We attend incidents of this nature far too regularly and I would encourage all road users to share the road and always drive in accordance of the law.”