Police say that dazzling sunlight did not cause the collision that resulted in the death of David Cox in Herne Bay in Kent last year. A forensic investigator said that lighting conditions could in fact have meant that the cyclist's dark clothes could have made him “more detectable” to the driver who hit him.
Kent Online reports that 71-year-old Cox was hit on a roundabout on Old Thanet Way in Herne Bay on January 28. He suffered serious head injuries and died 12 days later at London’s King’s College Hospital.
Canterbury Crown Court was shown dashcam footage from a witness’s vehicle which showed defendant Dean Thomas entering the roundabout without stopping and hitting Cox on the left hand side.
Prosecuting, Catherine Donnelly said it was estimated that Thomas was travelling at 21 mph.
In a police interview, Thomas said that the sun had hindered visibility and that the road appeared clear.
He admitted taking a small amount of cocaine three days before the incident after toxicology reports showed 289 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (a by-product of cocaine once metabolised by the body) per litre of blood. The legal limit is 50.
PC Youngs, who attended the crash scene, said: “The sunlight was bright. It was uncomfortable to the eye but he didn’t lose any sight.
“Given the ambient lighting conditions it could have had an effect where the sun made (Mr Cox) more detectable.”
He said that the driver-side visor had not been used.
Youngs also said that the car’s A-Frame could cause a blind spot. “There is a position with the Hyundai where it appears likely the pedal cycle is most likely obscured from view.”
The case continues.
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"That's, at the very minimum, three or four times less what I'd be stuffing down, I reckon."...
I would add to that, look at the curve of the junction. Why do we build junctions in such a way that it facilitates drivers being able to take them...
I see a car go through a red light at almost every single cycle at every single junction. ...
Also don't forget - Sustrans are a charity *....
Yes ... but (just due to the large numbers of people affected) this likely would only proceed in the UK at a very ... cautious ... pace....
Arsehole in the van not with standing, how did they manage to get a risk assessment allowing a race (a group not a TT) group to be competing on ...
I think reviewer completely missed the point here trying to match bike's name with what it can do. Ribble is namin git's bike weirdly, the...
Bit of googling gone wrong in the article - the JAT is the Junction Assessment Tool, the Joint Approval Team appears to be a coutner terrorism...
Can't believe that child threw his bike on the floor at the end of that. Young people today have no respect... ;))