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Inquest: HGV driver who had to be chased down by drivers to tell him cyclist was under the wheels apologises

Experienced HGV Driver turned left over cyclist - but didn't realise till he was stopped by other drivers...

An HGV driver who ran down a cyclist without realising - and had to be chased down by other motorists to tell him the cyclist was under his wheels - has apologised for what he called a ‘very tragic accident’.

Andre Jones, 21, was killed by Andrew Hillinshead, 46, in City Road, Fenton, in May this year.

He was cycling home from his work as a joiner when he was hit by the left-turning driver, who had 25 years’ experience.

According to the Stoke Sentinel, he told the inquest into Mr Jones’s death: “I did not see any cyclist. I didn’t even know I had come into contact with him. I never heard a bang. I was mortified. Shocked isn’t the word. It was a very tragic accident. I wish it had never happened. I can only apologise."

Another driver, Roy Pass said: I was behind the HGV travelling towards the A500. He pulled towards the centre of the road to manoeuvred left into a feeder road. I saw the front end of the cab start to move to the left and at that point I saw the cyclist and the two just collided. Before the incident I had not seen him.

“I had enough time to say, ‘no, no’ twice and then it happened.

“The pedal cyclist struck the exposed wheel on the near side. He was pulled under the tyre then pushed down the service road by the front tyre with him still on the bike for at least two wagon lengths.

“I was expecting the driver to stop. I just put my hand on the horn and followed him round the corner to get him to stop. He got out and came to me – he still didn’t realise he had someone trapped.”

Taxi driver Banaras Hussain, of Longton, who also witnessed the accident, said: “The cyclist went past me. He was half way across the slip road. I don’t think he expected the lorry to turn.”

A police investigator said it was possible that from his position in the cab, Mr Hollinshead had not been able to see the cyclist.

The coroner Ian Smith recorded a conclusion of death as a result of a road traffic collision, and said: “It was a really horrible, unfortunate, accident.”

Earlier this year we reported how the coroner sitting on the inquest of Dr Katherine Giles, who was killed while riding her bike by a left-turning tipper truck in Victoria last April, said that cyclists have to be aware of the danger of riding up the inside of lorries.

Dr Shirley Radcliffe’s comments came at the end of an inquest in which Westminster Coroner’s Court had been shown CCTV footage described as giving a “very clear view” of the events leading to the death of the 35-year-old polar scientist.

Recording a verdict of “traumatic road death,” Dr Radcliffe said: “I don’t wish to place any fault or blame on the victim on this occasion.

“But I can highlight once again the danger of coming up on the near-side of lorries. It’s been recognised as causing many deaths in London.”

Recently we reported that Shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh said that Labour will make safety equipment on lorries mandatory should it win next year’s general election to encourage more people to cycle. She also criticised the current government for scrapping road safety targets and letting HGVs travel faster on single-carriageway roads.

Earlier in 2013, Labour had said it would adopt the bulk of the recommendations of the Get Britain Cycling report from the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group if it came back into power.

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7 comments

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harrybav | 9 years ago
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Tacho reading for lorry speed not available?

Goodness, a some compulsory video camera on these million pound lorries would sure answer many questions.

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Paul J | 9 years ago
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Stuff like this is why, if there's a slip road ahead exiting the road I'm on, I move to the right of my lane: to do my best to be seen by any drivers thinking of taking that slip road, and avoid them trying to make a late pass and cut in on me.

Same deal on roundabouts, when I'm passing exits - after I had very close encounter with a driver.

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Flying Scot | 9 years ago
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Edited following reading the paper article and the third witness evidence.

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Arthur Scrimshaw | 9 years ago
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One of two things happened, the lorry drew up alongside the cyclist at the junction and then turned into the side road hitting him or the cyclist undertook the lorry either because the lorry wasn't indicating or he didn't see the indicators. The lorry had positioned itself to turn left but the witness statement doesn't say if it was indicating or not however it was clear to that witness what the lorry was going to do?

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racyrich | 9 years ago
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Where is the important information? Where was the cyclist prior to the impact? Presumably in that ubiquitous 'nowhere' place. The details above suggest this happened in moving traffic. It couldn't possibly be that the lorry had in fact just overtaken him and then turned left, could it?

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Das replied to racyrich | 9 years ago
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racyrich wrote:

Where was the cyclist prior to the impact? It couldn't possibly be that the lorry had in fact just overtaken him and then turned left, could it?

That is the way I read too, based on the driver behinds the HGV's statement.

Quote:

Another driver, Roy Pass said: I was behind the HGV travelling towards the A500. He pulled towards the centre of the road to manoeuvred left into a feeder road. I saw the front end of the cab start to move to the left and at that point I saw the cyclist and the two just collided. Before the incident I had not seen him

If he hadnt seen him, that means the cyclist hadn't undertaken them from what I read.

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Abbie | 9 years ago
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Absolutely awful, My thoughts are with the Family. My sister was knocked down and run over by a tipper truck on her bike in the centre of London in the 90's. She got trapped between the lorry and some scaffolding. It crushed her pelvis, but she survived, Spent 5 months in Barts. She hates even driving past a lorry now, and still suffers from the accident related injuries and pains. I now mainly cycle Rurally. But don't even like riding up the inside of cars if I can help it, not something you can avoid in the city.
Its like the lorries need a speaking indicator like their reversing one. Except it means they have to use the indicator in the first place. Be careful out there people.

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