Oswestry GP fined £400 over collision with cyclist
An Oswestry GP has been fined £400 for careless driving after she drove into the path of a cyclist.
Dr Wendy Dyke, 54, who works at Plas Ffynnon surgery in the town, appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court in Mold on Tuesday where she accepted full responsibility for the collision and admitted it was the cyclist's right of way.
Representing herself, Dyke, of Morda Road, Oswestry, admitted driving her black Ford Focus without due care and attention on the B5070 Holyhead Road at Chirk on June 13.
She was fined £400 with £125 costs by magistrates.
Mr Justin Espie, prosecuting, showed magistrates a video of the crash scene at the junction which showed Dyke turning right into Station Avenue, behind another vehicle, into the path of on-coming cyclist Robert William Davies.
"She failed to give way to the cyclist and collided with him," he said.
Dyke, who had no previous convictions and a clean driving licence, told magistrates she wished she had known the cyclist was there.
She said she was not distracted or speeding and was glad that she was able to stop immediately and that serious injury was avoided.
She added that her view as she turned had been blocked by the car ahead of her and that Mr Davies had been wearing black and had against black railings and there had been a dark shadow from a badly sited tree on the pavement edge.
After hitting Mr Davies, Dyke immediately stopped and was able to check him, raise the alarm and continually assess him, the court heard.
"I wish I had been on the bike and that Mr Davies had been the car driver.
"I am younger and I would have recovered quicker," she said.
After the fine had been imposed, she produced high visibility arm bands from her handbag and said they would provide far greater visibility for cyclists.
She said while she appreciated it could not happen, she wished her fine could be used to promote cycling safety in the region.
Outside court Dyke, a GP for 32 years, stressed that she was not criticising the cyclist in any way.
"It was his right of way and I hit him because I didn't see him," she said.
"But high visibility arm bands make a big difference if cyclists are wearing black and if he had been wearing some then the accident might not have happened."
