Pensioner cyclist “punched in face” by lorry driver after dangerous overtake which forced him onto pavement says investigation was dropped because police “are not interested”

An elderly cyclist who was allegedly punched and kicked by a lorry driver, during a confrontation sparked by a close pass which forced the 77-year-old onto the pavement, has claimed that the police later dropped their investigation into the incident because they “are not interested”, after the motorist turned up voluntarily to be interviewed by police – only to find that no officers were available to take a statement.

William Smith was riding his bike on Fairmile Road in the Dorset town of Christchurch in the autumn of 2022 when he was overtaken at close proximity by a lorry driver, a manoeuvre which forced him to mount the pavement in defence, a “fairly common occurrence” in the area, according to the cyclist.

Smith then confronted the driver about the close pass in a nearby shop, and says the motorist responded to his “polite” warning by assaulting him, claiming he was “punched in the face” and left bloodied and bruised in the attack.

However, the subsequent police investigation into the incident – which Dorset Police downgraded from actual bodily harm to common assault – was eventually dropped over six months later, after officers failed to take a statement when the driver appeared for a voluntary interview, prompting Smith to launch a scathing critique of the force’s attitudes towards cyclists and dangerous drivers.

Fairmile Road, Christchurch (Google Street View)

“I was cycling in Fairmile Road past the hospital when a lorry driver came so close that I had to go onto the pavement, a fairly common occurrence there,” the 77-year-old told the Daily Echo, explaining the incident from two years ago.

“He parked up and went inside one of the shops there to buy some cigarettes, and I saw he had parked up so went over. I wasn’t obnoxious, I didn’t swear, but said calmly that he needed to be more careful when passing in his lorry.

“He then punched me in the face, I fell to the ground and then he kicked up. I had blood on my arms and the next morning the bruising came.”

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Smith said that people working nearby reported the incident to the police, with the 77-year-old also filing his own report later that evening.

“They said they were investigating it, but after six months I learned [the police] sent a letter to the driver requesting he came into the police station for an interview, but was told that he didn’t show up,” the cyclist continued.

“I eventually found out from a senior officer that he did show up, but nobody was available to interview him, so he left.

“The police have told me that because it has been downgraded from actual bodily harm to common assault, the case had been dropped as it had also passed a six months’ time to investigate. But it was ABH, there was blood.

“I complained about this, spoke to a sergeant but he said the lorry driver came in and nobody was available to interview him.”

Smith has since lodged a formal complaint with Dorset Police concerning their handling of the incident, which the force says is currently “being reviewed”.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time while the full circumstances are being looked into,” a spokesperson added.

The 77-year-old has also complained to the office of Dorset’s Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick.

“We can confirm a review into a complaint is currently in progress,” a spokesperson for the office said in a statement. “We are unable to comment further until this is completed. The complainant has been recently updated as to this status of this review.”

> Cycling club repeatedly harassed by same driver frustrated over lack of police action, saying incidents are "intimidating and causing stress and alarm to members"

This latest example of frustration from cyclists towards the lack of response from local police concerning dangerous and intimidatory behaviour from motorists comes just two months after a cycling club ride leader stressed the importance of cyclists running cameras on the road after being told that police were unable to investigate a series of “intimidating” incidents involving the same driver across multiple days in the same small Wiltshire village.

Sean Price, a lifetime member of Westbury Wheelers Cycling Club, told road.cc that the club’s rides have been targeted numerous times by the driver, who has passed the group too closely and shouted abuse on more than one occasion.

While police were investigating under two crime reference numbers, Sean said the initial incident “was not fully investigated due to lack of video evidence”, having only managed to capture a close pass that police deemed not serious enough to issue a fixed penalty notice for.

Sean added that he was told that police instead intended to offer the driver the choice of attending an awareness course.

“The incidents are intimidating and causing stress and alarm to our members,” he said. “Some have not ridden as a result and we as a club are avoiding that village until police action has been taken.”