A Shropshire woman has been banned from the roads after being convicted of careless driving following the death of a motorcyclist in Mid Wales.
Denise Davies, who was towing a trailer behind her 4×4 vehicle, pulled out into the path of overtaking rider Graham Mark.
His bike smashed into a telegraph pole and landed on a railway crossing. Davies, 33, of Haybridge Avenue, Hadley, Telford, denied careless driving on the A458 at Sylfaen, near Welshpool, on April 8 last year.
She was convicted after a trial at Welshpool Magistrates Court and yesterday disqualified from driving for a year, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £600 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.
The magistrates heard Mr Mark, 34, of Bayley Road, Arleston, Telford, and three friends were riding home from the Welsh coast when the accident happened at 3.50pm.
Mr Mark, who was wearing brightly coloured clothing and had his headlights on, started to overtake a slower moving line of traffic ahead of him.
Miss Clare Jones, prosecuting, said nothing was coming the other way. Mr Mark was indicating and riding in a sensible manner, according to another motorist.
As he approached Davies’s Mitsubishi Pajero 4×4, towing a small trailer tent, she pulled out into his path, causing him to lose control.
Mr Mark died from multiple injuries after his bike struck a telegraph pole and landed on a railway crossing.
Davies told the court: “I looked in my mirrors, looked over my shoulder, looked in the mirrors again and pulled out.
“At no point did I see the motorbike otherwise I wouldn’t have overtaken.”
Bench chairman Mr Nick Powell said: “We believe the defendant carried out the manoeuvre without performing appropriate checks in the rear view mirror and do not believe she looked over her shoulder to check the blind spot.
“We believe her driving fell below the standard expected.”
A statement from the family and partner of Mr Mark said: “Graham was deeply loved and respected by all who knew him and he is missed every minute of every day.
“Whilst we understand that the CPS and courts acted within the confines of the law, justice has not been done.
“We hope the case highlights that even when motorcyclists are highly visible as Graham was they are still extremely vulnerable if other drivers are negligent in the basics of the highway code.”
By Anwen Evans and Peter Johnson
5 Comments
There are courses available to teach people to tow safely. Safety Partnerships would be wise to start promoting these courses -and other- road safety options to ensure that our roads are really safer for all concerned.
It happens all too often, people pull out in front of you without indicating and checking their mirrors. I wonder if the motorcyclist had lived whether the police would have tried to put the blame on him. It’s about time they dropped the “speed kills” attitude and concentrated on “negligence kills more”
There should be an extra licence for prospective owners of 4×4s and the urban dwelling applicant should be able to justify with good reason why they feel it necessary to own one.
Another 4×4 incident where the drivers think that they own the road - but sadly this time, it ended in this terrible loss of a gentleman’s life.
But why just a twelve month ban? Five years would be more appropriate with the vehicle being crushed.
know one knows the trauma i have been through since the accident happened untill you have been in the position i have been through then keep your opinions to your self from the driver of the 4×4