Road ban for death crash rider
A Kidderminster man has been fined £750 and banned from driving for 12 months after admitting careless driving which contributed to the death of a cyclist.
Michael Thompson, aged 41, of Peel Street, Kidderminster was riding a 1200cc Buell motorbike when he collided with Niall Scully who was standing in the middle of Vale Road with his bicycle.
Thompson had more than five seconds to react to seeing Mr Scully in February last year, Kidderminster magistrates court heard yesterday.
Accident investigators concluded that Thompson did not react quickly enough and his driving standard fell below legal requirements.
Thompson admitted one charge of driving without due care and attention.
He was riding along Vale Road when he saw Mr Scully, aged 63, of Chester Road North, pushing his bike across the road, the court heard.
Mr William Poole, defending, said: "My client accepts the standard of his driving fell below that owed in law. But he does not accept that he was solely to blame for this tragic accident. There was a failure on both the cyclist and Mr Thompson's part."
A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Mr Scully's inquest.
