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news
'Smirking' motorist who deliberately drove into cyclist jailed for two years (+ video)
A motorist from North Yorkshire has been jailed for two years and banned from driving for three years after he deliberately drove into a cyclist. The road rage incident, which was caught on film by the cyclist, apparently came about because the cyclist shook his head at a dangerous manoeuvre.
The Press Association reports that on June 26, 2018, 33-year-old William Status Heslop turned right into Barlby Road, Selby, in front of a 55-year-old cyclist travelling in the opposite direction.
The cyclist turned left into the same road and shook at his head at the way Heslop was driving.
Shortly afterwards, Heslop braked sharply in front of the cyclist and turned his wheels towards him as he passed the vehicle on the inside.
A few seconds later Heslop deliberately drove into the cyclist.
Heslop left the scene, leaving the cyclist in the road. A witness who came to aid the cyclist said that Heslop had been “smirking” as he drove away.
“He (the cyclist) is made of stern stuff,” said Michael Bosomworth, prosecuting. “He continued on his journey to York, but only on arrival at his place of work he realised he was breathless and in some pain.”
At York Hospital casualty, the cyclist discovered he had suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Investigating officer, PC Richard Stagg from Selby police, said: “It’s not quite clear what Heslop hoped to achieve by his intimidating and ultimately dangerous behaviour towards the cyclist. But I hope this case sends a clear message to motorists who think they can get away with such aggressive behaviour towards other road users.
“We urge everyone to share the road and be courteous to each other otherwise you could end up in prison with a criminal record that will have a long-term, knock-on effect on other aspects of your life.”
Heslop, a professional HGV driver, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. As well as the jail sentence and driving ban, he will be obliged to take an extended driving test before returning to the road.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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28 comments
"Investigating officer, PC Richard Stagg from Selby police, said: “It’s not quite clear what Heslop hoped to achieve by his intimidating and ultimately dangerous behaviour towards the cyclist."
Sorry PC Stagg, but the intention was quite clear: to intimidate and cause serious injury or even death.
What is not 'quite clear' is why you chose not to pursue an appropriate charge of assault at least.
(You admit that the driving was 'intimidating' and 'aggressive' both of which I would have thought escalates this behaviour from dangerous driving to assault with intent.)
My last 2 interactions with an hgv driver was being overtaken too close with a bit of a backdraft, no so good at 30 mph.
Previous one was in a car on the A14. Driver 2 tries to overtake driver1 at about 0.5 mph faster. Proceeds then to do an emergency stop in L2 as driver 2 now realises that he is about to miss his exit. Utterly clueless about how to drive or who else was on the road.
HGV drivers in my experience are the ones who give the most space when overtaking, and only when safe to do so. I hold them in higher regard than pretty much all other road users. This little pr**k won't be changing my opinion too soon hopefully, but hopefully he won't be behind the wheel again. We can live in hope.
the HGV drivers must be of a different calibre where you live, as the ones round my way will happily give you a close pass, push through pinch points,and basically pretend youve disappeared once the cab is level with you.
Scariest close pass I ever had was with an HGV purely because I could hear the way the truck was accelerating behind me that it was going to happen 30 secs or more before it happened, normally they happen and you react in the moment, this one I had time to realise it was going to happen whatever I might do, and all I could do was grip my handlebars tightly, hold on and pray, he must have been within a foot doing 40-50mph given the draft wobble it caused. no camera, on Euro plates, there wasnt much I could do to report that.
so I hold HGV drivers in the same regard level as I do builders trucks and white vans.
And bus drivers: don't forget the bus drivers!
I AM a HGV driver and when im around cyclists im the most patient and courteous driver you'll ever find. I've waited behind two abreast riders up hill on a 60 mph road for about 5 minutes before. The traffic coming the other way made it impossible to overtake, so i just waited for a bit. The two riders stopped at the top of the hill and pulled into a lay by to let me pass them. I don't see why anyone else finds this so difficult to do. If you cannot drive safely around someone on a small metal frame, when controlling a machine capable of killing people with the simple action of pushing pedals a bit harder, you shouldn't be allowed to drive one. If I'd been this cyclist i don't think it would have bothered me too much what this driver did but the after effect... that just shows the driver has lost it and needs to be taken off the road network forever. Never again can he be trusted to operate a killing machine on a public road, he will have to find a new job and use a bus or bicycle. No engine for him now. The rider is at least lucky in the sense the police took his complaint seriously- ive been pushed off my bike, punched in the face and defended myself after that, and when i took the footage to the cops? Nothing.. zilch. The officer also told me i had to use the cycle lane because i'd upset the man by not doing so. Even when i told her i was going 30 mph and it was a path with people walking on it, she didn't get it. I'm never going to report anything, nothing gets done. The police arent even aware of the laws, what hope do we have?
Cycling? At 30mph? On the road!! You're lucky you didn’t get done for cycling furiously! Well, at least I now know that being an upset man is a solid defence:/
yep. He was incredibly unhappy that i was going 30 mph on the road with a 40 mph limit. I caught him up and passed him at the traffic lights, somewhat ironic in the sense that he was the slower vehicle. Used it to block me in at red light, told me he was gona smash my head in, got out his car and called me a cunt for not using the cycle lane, i began to tell him there was a reason for it[ something to do with having people walking on it, might not be the best thing to mix 30 mph bike with people?] but he didnt wana know, pushed me off bike and punched me, i got up and hit him back a few times, guy in car behind pulled me off him. I told him it was on camera and rode off. Police not interested, seemed more concerned i'd upset the bloke by not using the cycle path. The worst thing is i've also had two police officers shout and beep at me from inside their car to tell me to keep left and use the cycle lane, again ironic, seeing as i'd just overtaken about 400 cars of solid early morning traffic, which was holding the cops up way more. Fuck all of them. Theyre just as against cycling as everyone els is.
What hope have we got? Glad you were able to defend yourself. It’s like the Wild West out there sometimes.
thanks. Not proud of it, but i spent two years in prison as a teenager so im not shy of defending myself if needed. I don't stand for being bullied on the road, and if i see someone doing it to a cyclist, i get involved. Today i nearly got taken out by someone who i doubt did it on purpose, but certainly should not be on the road with me. https://rate-driver.co.uk/HG59YRF I think the only way people can feel safe to cycle again is either build dutch style cycle lanes, good enough for 30 mph plus riders to use, not these shared use pavement bollocks types, then we dont have to deal with angry morons in cars, and they cant knock us off. Ive had bus drivers tell me to use shared paths and beep at me for not doing so, taxi drivers do the same, and normal motorists too, they all beep as though they think they are the one in the right, even though the guy theyre following is actually better trained than all of them. I don't think the average motorist has passed their big bike DAS test, five cbts, the a1 bike test, two car tests, the advanced motorist driving course and pursuit driving. Im just a clueless bloke on a bicycle in their minds.
This is a section 18 GBH assault and it's aggravated at that. The CPS are a fucking disgrace, this cunt should be seeing closer to 5-7 years, nope, let's prosecute for a motoring offence which this clearly isn't, it's a premeditated assault on a human being!
What is the fucking point of increasing the maximum tariff for the most serious of cases when judges won't actually follow through!
I hope somebody drops a concrete block on his head as soon as he walks free after 12 months, yet another fucking oxygen wasting scumbag!
Same thing happened to me yesterday; some prat decided he didn't like that I'd taken the lane in traffic I was well able to keep pace with. A couple of long horn blasts followed by being overtaken and squeezed to the kerb. Luckily, I managed to stay upright. Reported to police with a registration number and description of the driver, but I don't have helmet cam footage. Time to strap on a GoPro, methinks, especially if the sentencing starts getting a bit more realistic.
If he had done the same in his HGV he would likely have a very secure defence of claiming not to have seen the cyclist or of being aware of the collision.
So his impulse control is worse than we thought?
It also occurs to me that "disapprovingly shaking your head" at someone's incompetence is something that I've always considered as pretty minor and inoffensive and yet it caused this bloke to basically threaten death or serious injury... Must have a pretty fragile ego.
You don't have to go that far to get a reaction. Just looking in their general direction is enough to set some of them off.
I well remember an incident when I was delivering magazines, and a car shot around the bend near me. All I did was look in that direction, but the driver reversed up, got out and said in a threatening manner "What did you say?" Paranoia should be sufficient reason to deny a driving licence.
Couple of years back I was stopped at the side of the road waiting for a car to pass by. The driver was faffing about. Like most of us would when driving I muttered under my breath, to myself, "come on mate, get it sorted". My lips must have moved because he stopped, wound his window down, and threatened to 'stab me'. This was 6pm in a quiet Cardiff suburb.
Sleep with a man’s wife & he’ll probably laugh it off if you buy him a pint.
Criticise his driving? That’s taboo. Unforgivable sin. It’s a blood feud. You’ve besmirched his honour & he must have satisfaction.
imo
Send me a picture!
There could be a pint in it for you.
I would seriously hope that's the end of his HGV-driving career, and deservedly too. In a fair and just world he wouldn't be allowed to drive any motor vehicle ever again...
If you'd been convicted of shooting someone with a licenced firearm, would they let you have a gun licence again after a couple of years?
But at least some justice here. No doubt all down to the video evidence.
And should be made to re sit his HGV test again too.
He should never be allowed to drive an HGV again. He found it funny to knock down a cyclist with a car. He certainly shouldn't be allowed in a lorry.
HGV licences are treated rather differently from car licences in that the Traffic Commissioners are often willing to remove them in cases such as these. The court verdict will be passed on to them and we can only hope they take the appropriate action. When Heslop applies for the return of his HGV licence he will be informed of their decision.
I trust the driving ban is not going to run concurrently with his prison sentence.
Apart from the minor ban...some sense of justice at last...
At last, a realistic sentence. I trust this is being reported all over the msm and all professional drivers are being blamed for the transgressions of this one.
Frankly, he has proved beyond any possible doubt that he is pychologically unfit to be in charge of a motor vehicle and should be banned for life. He deliberately attacked someone for pointing out that his driving was incompetent; I wonder what the sentence would have been if he'd used a knife or a gun?