Driver fined over fatal accident...

[the_lone_wolf]

A motorist who knocked down a 17-year-old girl who later died from her injuries has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Rhiannon Bennett was hit by Jason Howard as she walked with friends in Buckingham in April 2007.

The 36-year-old shouted at her to "move because I'm not stopping", but drove into her. Rhiannon fell and hit her head and died from her injuries.

Howard, of Buckingham, was fined £2,200 by Aylesbury magistrates.

On Monday, the court heard that he could have swerved to avoid the girl but told police he thought a shout would be enough to avoid the collision.

Howard was driving on the road when he approached the group but the court heard conflicting evidence about whether he mounted the kerb at any point during the incident.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...ts/7496370.stm

hmm, one rule...

[yorkie_chris]

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about booting the back wheel of a cyclist the other week

Is he not going to prision for driving like a ****? :s

[the_lone_wolf]

unsurprisingly, the family of the dead girl aren't happy...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/b...ts/7496757.stm

But she was in the road not on a zebra crossing and he was a road user? So surely it was her fault?? I mean, of course he should have swerved, but I am guessing he thought it would just give her a bruised back and remind her not to be a lemming rather than actually kill her.

[yorkie_chris]

The other article says she was on the footpath

she was on a footpath and he made no intention of slowing down or avoiding her and from the sounds of it did all he could to hit her!!

This was a cyclist though so i guess they can do what they want right??? they seem to do what they want without any rules in everything else don't they?

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

The other article says she was on the footpath

Further down the same article: ""We think Rhiannon was probably a few inches, or a foot, into the road and then she moved towards the pavement," said Sgt Mahon."

Who knows! Guess one shouldn't really comment on what you don't know well. But I think you can summarise by saying what was the £2200 fine for? Either she was a lemming and he is innocent, or he mowed her down thus being manslaughter? So how come a teeny fine?

[the_lone_wolf]

Originally Posted by Warthog

But she was in the road not on a zebra crossing and he was a road user? So surely it was her fault?? I mean, of course he should have swerved, but I am guessing he thought it would just give her a bruised back and remind her not to be a lemming rather than actually kill her.

regardless of where she was, having time to not only stop, but yell at someone to get out of the way because you aren't going to stop, and choosing not to is dangerous in my book, no matter what you're driving/riding. as a result of this dangerous behaviour an accident occured where a direct result (through improbable circumstances) was the death of a pedestrian

to me that's causing death by dangerous driving, which would normally carry a custodial sentence, but as this guy was on a pedal bike he gets away with a fine. the one rule for them, one for us comment was meant to highlight the inconsistency of the sentence...

[21QUEST]

As it appears we having conflicting stories regards what really happend, all I'm prepared to say is "I hate bladder retarded lemmings."

Yeah it's bad that she died but if she was playing 'chicken' or just plain being an idiot, then quite a bit of blame has to lie with her.

I should hope if one was in a situation where swerving is likely to put one in very grave danger of injury(or worse), one would hopefully be able to override ones natural instinctive thought process.


Ben