the mentality of someone who has had to deal with a difficult disability and also problems with her sight which cannot be fixed by specsavers. What was the mentality of someone aged 77 on a footpath hurtling towards this disabled woman - it seems that it either one or the other who would end up on the road. We are only talking about this because it wasn’t just another cyclist kills pedestrian article. The video is very one sided because it doesn’t show the cyclist until that last fateful second. They are not there to give their side of the situation and explain why they didn’t brake.
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Your allegation of “hurtling” (2) is, presumably, derived from Grey’s description of “high speed” as seen with “sight which cannot be fixed by specsavers” (1)
(3) That’s because they (Celia Ward) were killed by Auriol Grey.
If there was dashcam footage of the incident then it might have been damning for Grey … but, seemingly, there isn’t.
The video footage clearly shows that the cyclist was on the very outer edge of the pavement - she could not have got any closer to the edge and there is no evidence to suggest she was “hurtling” towards the pedestrian, either.
In fact, although the pedestrian says the cyclist was in the centre of the footpath and going fast, the CCTV footage shows that the pedestrian was in the centre of the footpath too and from the time she started waving her arm and gesticulating towards the cyclist, it shows she was well aware of the cyclist in plenty of time to just move over a bit on the pavement if she had wanted to. Instead, the pedestrian moved slightly from the centre of the footpath towards the outer edge of the pavement herself, whilst using her arm to gesticulate to the cyclist to “get off the pavement”
If the cyclist had been in the centre of the footpath when the pedestrian first spotted her, she must have moved over to the very outer edge of it in good time before passing the pedestrian - just watch the video and you can see that at the passing point, the front wheel of the cycle is at the very edge of the pavement, while the gesticulating pedestrian is the one in the middle of the pavement, swinging her arm into the cyclist’s path.
This was such an unnecessary tragedy, resulting in the death of a 77 year old woman, caused by the uncompromising aggression of the younger woman.
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I can see that they were both on the outer edge of the pavement (next to the road). As I said what I cannot understand is why the cyclist didn’t steer left (away from the kerb/roadside) or simply put the brakes on and stop. The pedestrian could be seen from quite a distance. She seems to have difficulty walking due to her condition as her legs go wider than a normal walker.
I have noticed a growing trend in cyclists refusing to stop or change position in the road despite whatever obstacle is in front of them. They will go into an open car door that can be seen from a good distance and then blame the driver for opening it.
Disabled people, particularly those who do not have an easily visible disability, suffer a great deal from lazy planning, and lack of cycling infrastructure when at the same time more are being encouraged to cycle. There is a big movement against shared paths and cycles/e- scooters on paths, by the disabled and particularly the blind or those with impaired vision. This is a perfect example of why you can’t push increases in cycling and in particular e-cycling and nuisance e-scooters, unless you also have huge investment in safe infrastructure including cycle traffic lights, mandatory registration, training and licencing, policing of offenders who go onto pavement and a total ban on dangerous shared paths. Apparently they have put a pause on introducing more shared paths, but they should remove those already installed and focus instead on providing a safe cycling infrastructure. Pedestrians deserve to be safe and not constantly looking over their shoulder or having to jump out of the way of a cycle.
Where exactly this woman was meant to go to get out of the way of this cyclist is a good question. Should she have pushed herself against railings? I can’t believe she was convicted for swearing and waving her arms. Just goes to show that the disabled are losing hard won rights and being pushed aside in favour of the able.
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I am about to trial using my phone when out on the Ebike, I regularly go to a Country Park where the pathways are old single carriage roads (you can still spot the cats eyes on the center line, that’s how wide they are) I am unable to upload the Gopro footage via Youtube but, should be able to upload the phone footage. When there is the slightest chance I will go to within 3 feet of a pedestrian, I come to a complete halt and let them pass, you want to see the look of utter contempt on some faces, there are a lot of potential "Grey’s out there.
It’s reassuring that there are considerate cyclists like you out there. Unfortunately there is a very us and them attitude now. Many of the most vulnerable in society don’t have a voice when council planners are let loose on our highways. However, they will be very vocal when they find those decisions affect them when they are out and about. There are also some bad apples whose new religion is cycling and who give the rest a bad name. It’s very difficult to be sympathetic when you’ve been affected by aggressive cyclists as I have in the past. There’s much resentment on both sides and this is an example of where that has led to tragedy.
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In that case it was murder .
As the elderly woman knew by deliberately pushing someone into the path of an oncoming vehicle could result in death .
I find it appalling she left the scene of the accident, heartless
cruel woman.
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Grey, of Bradbury Place, Huntingdon, was jailed for three years after being convicted of manslaughter.
Sentencing Grey, Judge Enright said she was “territorial about the pavement” and “resented” the cyclist being there.
The trial heard Grey had cerebral palsy and was partially sighted, but the judge said: “These actions are not explained by disability.”
He said that she had given a “dishonest account in interview” and there was “not a word about remorse until today”.
A not unexpected sentence,
OK so having heard about this I have just watched the 13 second video
The pavement is narrow , I would say not a cycle lane or suitable for cycles , the pedestrian walking towards the cyclist , really the cyclist should have been seeing well ahead and either stopped or gone onto the road to allow the pedestrian to pass as is her right . I do not see the pedestrian touch or near the cyclist when she is waving her arm .
Terribly sad , an awful thing to happen but I don’t feel the pedestrian is guilty of manslaughter, unless of course the judge saw a longer clearer video.
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Apparently:
The trial was told that police could not “categorically” state whether the pavement was a shared cycleway.
Cambridgeshire County Council subsequently reiterated that and said it would review the location, but in his sentencing remarks Judge Sean Enright said it was a shared cycleway.
So, some disagreement but the judge’s decision stands unless overridden on appeal.
I think just going on as normal to the shops immediately afterwards did not help her case.
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I think the angle from which the CCTV is taken distorts the perspective, as they often do - the pavement must be wider than it looks because, according to the Judge it is 2.4 metres wide - that is nearly 8 feet, which should give ample room for a pedestrian and a cyclist to pass.
I expect the Jury which found her guilty will have been given details of the width of the path in addition to viewing CCTV footage and hearing all the Statements.
The video clearly shows the pedestrian made no attempt to stay on one side of the pavement to allow the cyclist to pass on the other side - I thought she not only held the centre of the pavement but also walked slightly towards the cyclist to confront her and she admits that when she put her hand out she thought it made contact with the cyclist, even though we could not see that from the angle of the CCTV camera.
Judge Sean Enright, sentencing Grey to three years in prison, said “these actions are not explained by disability”.
He said that Grey, of Huntingdon, had no mental disorder or learning difficulties and he said the pavement was 2.4 metres wide at the relevant point, describing it as a “shared path on the ring road”.
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I always thought that a cycle was allowed on the pavement if the wheels are of a certain diameter.
I cannot remember exactly waht the size should be,but 22/24 inches spring to mind.
It is a sad case all around imo.
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It is terribly sad .
That’s how I “see” it.
Seemingly, Grey, when interviewed, was evasive:
In police interview, Grey, who has cerebral palsy, told officers she was partially sighted and described the pedal cycle as travelling “fast” in the centre of the pavement.
She stated she was “anxious that I was going to get hit by it”, adding she “may have unintentionally put” out her hand to protect herself.
But after being shown the CCTV footage, interviewing officer Det Sgt Mark Dollard asked her why she said what she said, to which she responded: “I don’t know.”
A probation officer described Grey as ‘childlike’ and I think she probably is - she acted without thought of consequence and lied to avoid blame.
Not good for the cyclist who was 77 she was doing no harm and the gesture probably flustered her and made her lose her balance .
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Det Sgt Dollard, who interviewed Grey, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "I’ll always remember the morning after it occurred obtaining the CCTV and watching it in its entirety.
“In all honesty it’s horrific and not appropriate for wider release to the public, but, if it were, then I think a lot of the arguments in relation to appropriate responses would be null and void.”
He added that there were “considerations in relation to Auriol Grey’s vulnerability” in their investigation.
“A lot of medical records… professional expert evidence was sought and presented to a jury, it’s important to note, and with all that, in fact, she was found guilty of an unlawful act and that is why she was convicted,” he said.
“I certainly urge people to think twice about commenting in relation to this case when they’re not in possession of all the facts,” the detective said. “I’ve seen a number of ill-informed comments on various messaging sites as well and it’s not helpful to anyone.”
Evidently, a crime was seen to be committed.
It happened here on Nursery Road next to the stop sign (a different angle)
There are absolutely no signs to indicate that this is a shared path. They do have a shared cycleway/footpath on Brampton road, but that has markings (2 lanes)
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[(1) What Auriol Grey Admitted in the Police Interview - YouTube]
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The presenter makes bangs on a lot but he fails to provide additional “evidence” because, as he points out, much of that was retained in court. Only the extended footage available, but not released, would settle the matter.
Det Sgt Dollard, who interviewed Grey, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "I’ll always remember the morning after it occurred obtaining the CCTV and watching it in its entirety.
“In all honesty it’s horrific and not appropriate for wider release to the public, but, if it were, then I think a lot of the arguments in relation to appropriate responses would be null and void.”
He added that there were “considerations in relation to Auriol Grey’s vulnerability” in their investigation.
“A lot of medical records… professional expert evidence was sought and presented to a jury, it’s important to note, and with all that, in fact, she was found guilty of an unlawful act and that is why she was convicted,” he said.
Sentencing Grey, Judge Enright said she was “territorial about the pavement” and “resented” the cyclist being there. He said that she had given a “dishonest account in interview” and there was “not a word about remorse until today”.
Patently, those in court know more than internet “experts”.