# Cyclist dies after collision with minibus in Blackburn.



## PaulB (7 Jun 2018)

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...h_minibus_at_Whitebirk_Roundabout__Blackburn/

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...ming_trapped_under_a_minibus_named_by_police/


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## Biker Joe (7 Jun 2018)

PaulB said:


> http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...h_minibus_at_Whitebirk_Roundabout__Blackburn/
> 
> http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...ming_trapped_under_a_minibus_named_by_police/


That is very sad news indeed. My thoughts go out to his friends and family in these distressing times.


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## fossyant (7 Jun 2018)

RIP.

Driver of the bus was unharmed. FFS. No shoot sherlock


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## matiz (7 Jun 2018)

Nobody's safe I've just heard a 14 yr old boy was killed yesterday afternoon in my town Weymouth,he was in a collision with a artic.


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## classic33 (7 Jun 2018)

matiz said:


> Nobody's safe I've just heard a 14 yr old boy was killed yesterday afternoon in my town Weymouth,he was in a collision with a artic.


Police are now seeking anyone with dashcam footage, or witnessed it to come forward.


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## Vantage (7 Jun 2018)

matiz said:


> Nobody's safe I've just heard a 14 yr old boy was killed yesterday afternoon in my town Weymouth,he was in a collision with a artic.



We're not even safe on bollard protected pavements. This just yesterday. 70 yr old woman was hit twice by the same car which then landed on her. I mean, FFS, how???

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news..._crash_in_town_centre_outside_Olympus_chippy/


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## numbnuts (7 Jun 2018)

You never quite know when your time is up, treat every day as your last - RIP


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

This is the first i've heard of this. The roundabout at Whitebirk is horrendous. I've never cycled round it and have no intention of ever doing so. I know of some who have. They must be crackers! When i want to get to Blackburn on my bike i use the cycle/ped crossings that are available,to bypass it.


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## Drago (7 Jun 2018)

Very very sad.


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

[QUOTE 5270081, member: 9609"]Glad to see @Accy cyclist has posted since, think he lives at Great Harwood or did ? and he's in his 50s[/QUOTE]
Still live in Great Harwood and thanks for the concern!


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

Damn,i've just seen his picture and i know him! He was one of my customers on my window round. I was only talking to him a few weeks ago. He always asked me about cycling when we met. The last time i saw him he passed me on a touring bike. I said to him that i didn't know he was a cyclist as well. He replied telling me that he'd cycled all over Europe. His wife died two years ago last month,after a short illness. I was only in the cemetery yesterday and wondered why her grave was a bit shabby as he used to put fresh flowers on every week. Now i know why. I'm sat here with a tear in my eye as i post. Then some of us(me included) think we've had some bad luck in our lives! Rest In peace Robert!


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

The report says it happened on the 5th of May. I've changed my above post because i said i was only talking to him 2 weeks ago. Well obviously it was longer ago than i thought. I'm thinking now that he died that same day he approached me on his bike.


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## fossyant (7 Jun 2018)




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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

It seems i was right about the date after all. I've just phoned Mrs Accy to tell her and she said she saw the road cordoned off on Tuesday just gone. So it was the 5th of June not the 5th of May ffs! That newspaper is so crap! She said she saw his bike trapped under the minibus,and it wasn't the big roundabout i mentioned earlier,but the smaller one which i do cycle round. I don't think i'll be going round it again!


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## PaulB (7 Jun 2018)

Accy cyclist said:


> The report says it happened on the 5th of May. I've changed my above post because i said i was only talking to him 2 weeks ago. Well obviously it was longer ago than i thought. I'm thinking now that he died that same day he approached me on his bike.




Some clarification needed here. This is shockingly bad 'reporting' from this 'newspaper' as this incident was two days ago, Tuesday, not one month ago! I know this because my wife was one of the first on the scene and she called me to tell me she was going to be late. Seeing her stuck in traffic with an obvious nurses uniform and the NHS logo on her badge, she was asked to offer some assistance but the entire crew were in full flow by the time she got there so no further assistance was required from her. You were probably right in your initial thoughts on when you saw him, the so-called newspaper got this hopelessly wrong.


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## Accy cyclist (7 Jun 2018)

PaulB said:


> Some clarification needed here. This is shockingly bad 'reporting' from this 'newspaper' as this incident was two days ago, Tuesday, not one month ago! I know this because my wife was one of the first on the scene and she called me to tell me she was going to be late. Seeing her stuck in traffic with an obvious nurses uniform and the NHS logo on her badge, she was asked to offer some assistance but the entire crew were in full flow by the time she got there so no further assistance was required from her. You were probably right in your initial thoughts on when you saw him, the so-called newspaper got this hopelessly wrong.


I do now think it was about 4 weeks ago when i last saw him. It was a warm sunny day but seeing as we've had so many of those lately i just can't remember exactly when it was. Anyway,that report giving the wrong date is very bad! I think he had 2 children in their late teens. They must be devastated,especially after only losing their mum only 2 years ago. I cycled round that smaller roundabout where he was killed on Tuesday and yesterday. They'd bollarded one of the lanes off. I felt uncomfy going partly round it as cars were up my backside,due to there only being 1 lane. I know we all think it sometimes,but it's made me think again about jacking in cycling. Every time i set off on a ride i think it could be me who's next. Poor fellow,he was a decent bloke who kept himself to himself. If only he'd let on that he was a cyclist too we could've gone on some rides together. He lived about 1 minutes walk away from my local pub but never went in the place.


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## Accy cyclist (1 Oct 2018)

Nothing in the papers yet about an inquest into Robert's death. It's been nearly 4 months. How long do these things take i ask? I walked by his grave today. His name and date of death have been inscribed on the headstone that was originally intended for his late wife. It says 'A True Gentleman' beneath his name and they've inscribed a bicycle on the stone. Nice to see it has drop handlebars and a Derailleur on it. I know it's an old cliche,but i can't believe he's dead. I still expect to see him walking his dogs,or on his computer sat in his front room.


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## keithmac (4 Oct 2018)

It can take years in some cases, they drag their feet for some reason..


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## Pale Rider (4 Oct 2018)

At one time, an inquest would routinely be opened and adjourned pending the completion of criminal proceedings - if there are any.

That doesn't always happen these days, and I don't know if there are criminal proceedings in this case.

It's a matter of public record, so there's nothing to stop a concerned individual ringing the cops, asking for the 'coroner's officer' for the area concerned, then asking him or her when the next hearing is.


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## Accy cyclist (22 Dec 2018)

Finally some news about the cyclist in question's death. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co....-momentary-lapse-killed-cyclist-at-whitebirk/ So Robert has finally been exonerated!! I'm so pleased to hear that it was not his own fault,though mad/sad to hear that the person who killed him has been kind of exonerated too,with the court deciding it was just a 'momentary lapse in concentration' that lead to Robert's death.

Any of you like to guess the motorist's sentence? I'll go for a few hundred pounds fine and 6 points on his license. Meanwhile Robert's daughters are heading towards their first Christmas without both their parents.


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## alicat (22 Dec 2018)

The motorist has pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. The sentence might be at the more lenient end of the scale; however he has not been exonerated.

I like the reported tribute to Mr Worden.


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## Bazzer (22 Dec 2018)

Accy cyclist said:


> Finally some news about the cyclist in question's death. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co....-momentary-lapse-killed-cyclist-at-whitebirk/ So Robert has finally been exonerated!! I'm so pleased to hear that it was not his own fault,though mad/sad to hear that the person who killed him has been kind of exonerated too,with the court deciding it was just a 'momentary lapse in concentration' that lead to Robert's death.
> 
> Any of you like to guess the motorist's sentence? I'll go for a few hundred pounds fine and 6 points on his license. Meanwhile Robert's daughters are heading towards their first Christmas without both their parents.



According to this the minimum tariff is a disqualification.


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## Accy cyclist (22 Dec 2018)

alicat said:


> I like the reported tribute to Mr Worden.



Yes,me too!


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## Pale Rider (22 Dec 2018)

The magistrates have committed the case to crown court which suggests they think their sentencing powers of six months are insufficient.

The offence carries a maximum of five years when dealt with at crown, and a sentence of up to two years can be suspended.

The defendant has reached 58 years of age without troubling the courts for anything, and he had a clean licence.

He has pleaded guilty at an early stage in the proceedings, which means he is entitled to the maximum credit available for doing so.

Like it or not, as a general rule we don't lock up people of previous good character for a first offence where there is an alternative.

The offence does not appear to be the worst of its type, it was genuinely a momentary lack of attention, there being no suggestion his driving was anything other than careful up to that point.

Where is all this leading?

I reckon about a year or 15 months, which his barrister will be hopeful of getting suspended.

That's what I think will happen, what I think ought to happen may be slightly different.


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## Drago (22 Dec 2018)

Aye, suspended sounds about right. In essence, no public punishment at all for a gentleman of his years.


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## jefmcg (22 Dec 2018)

Accy cyclist said:


> Nothing in the papers yet about an inquest into Robert's death.


A friend of mine was involved in an inquest. A clear suicide, so there was criminal investigation. The inquest was about 2 years after the death.

(My friend turns her phone off at night, and her friend knew this so chose her to send a text knowing that by the time she turned he phone back on, it would be too late for her to do anything to save him. She had a horrible experience - I think she discovered the body, but she didn't talk about that to me. She then spent two years trying to forget that morning, before she was called as a witness and had to relive it.)


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## alicat (22 Dec 2018)

The inquest into my mother's death will be held 10 months after she died. I won't share the details since it may offend the squeamish and they are not relevant to this thread.


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## Milkfloat (22 Dec 2018)

I don’t see how this is a momentary lapse of concentration, in my eyes there are two lapses, first to clip him and second to then pull away. However, from the article I find this troubling “Richard James, defending, said the incident was similar to the type of contact between cars which resulted in whiplash injuries.” It seems like the defence lawyer is massively trying to downplay the incident, I find that very crass.


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## Ming the Merciless (22 Dec 2018)

Milkfloat said:


> I don’t see how this is a momentary lapse of concentration, in my eyes there are two lapses, first to clip him and second to then pull away. However, from the article I find this troubling “Richard James, defending, said the incident was similar to the type of contact between cars which resulted in whiplash injuries.” It seems like the defence lawyer is massively trying to downplay the incident, I find that very crass.



Richard James needs to be reminded that someone died and how the laws of physics work when one body has a lot more mass than the other.


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## Drago (22 Dec 2018)

Momentary lapse of concentration = wasn't paying attention to a fatal degree and some innocent passer by died as a result. 

They should say it how it is. That it may or may not have been momentray is irrelevent. No one gets a sticker at the dentist for momentarily shoplifting or momentarily murdering someone.


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## Accy cyclist (5 Feb 2019)

Well, the case is now closed.https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co....bus-driver-spared-jail-after-killing-cyclist/ The driver of the mini bus has been given......... "an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, was disqualified from driving for 21 months and must complete 150 hours’ unpaid work" He's also lost his job and as the hearing was told,he'll have to carry the burden for the rest of his life. It sounds like he was rushing to get to his destination. He looked right before pulling out and just didn't look forward,which led to the cyclist's death. I've since mentioned Robert Worden's death to people and in most cases they've said ..."He was daft to ride that roundabout when there's a cyclist/pedestrian crossing available to use". There isn't though. There is one on the adjoining large roundabout which leads onto the motorway,but not on the smaller one where he was killed. Yes,they have those little islands in the middle of the road where you can make a dash for,but to not only stand yourself in a safe position,but also your bike, to avoid it being clipped is very difficult,as we all know. His death has just been written off as a "Those cyclists just don't help themselves" 'accident'..


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## Slick (6 Feb 2019)

Accy cyclist said:


> Well, the case is now closed.https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co....bus-driver-spared-jail-after-killing-cyclist/ The driver of the mini bus has been given......... "an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, was disqualified from driving for 21 months and must complete 150 hours’ unpaid work" He's also lost his job and as the hearing was told,he'll have to carry the burden for the rest of his life. It sounds like he was rushing to get to his destination. He looked right before pulling out and just didn't look forward,which led to the cyclist's death. I've since mentioned Robert Worden's death to people and in most cases they've said ..."He was daft to ride that roundabout when there's a cyclist/pedestrian crossing available to use". There isn't though. There is one on the adjoining large roundabout which leads onto the motorway,but not on the smaller one where he was killed. Yes,they have those little islands in the middle of the road where you can make a dash for,but to not only stand yourself in a safe position,but also your bike, to avoid it being clipped is very difficult,as we all know. His death has just been written off as a "Those cyclists just don't help themselves" 'accident'..


I really hate that attitude, and this concern that the perpetrator has to carry the burden would bring no solace to me.


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## Drago (6 Feb 2019)

No one forced the perp to drive like a tool, so really it was their decision to carry it with them for the rest of their lives. That should be of no account whatsoever during sentencing.


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