Lorry driver ‘failed to look in his mirror or indicate’ before cyclist was crushed to death, court hears

A CYCLIST was dragged under the wheels of a lorry and crushed to death after the driver failed to look in his mirrors or indicate, a court heard.

Louise Wright, 29, suffered “catastrophic” injuries after she was struck by a Greene King Brewery lorry driven by Adam Haywood, 30.

The cyclist had stopped at traffic lights and rode straight ahead when they turned green 17 seconds later.

Haywood turned left across her path, striking her rear wheel, jurors heard.

Derby Crown Court heard Louise was killed “almost instantaneously” as her bike was pulled under the light goods vehicle and dragged along the road on July 3, 2014.

The tragedy happened after Haywood stopped at red lights in Lower Parliament Street in Nottingham in a lane in where you could carry straight on or turn left.

The court heard Haywood “failed to observe” Louise as she rode up and stopped for 17 seconds alongside him at the traffic lights before she set off.

Prosecutor Martin Hurst said: “He failed to respond to the collision as quickly as he should have done.

“At some stage she became separated from the pedal cycle and the wheels of the lorry went over her.

“The only mercy that can be taken from it is that she died almost instantaneously. Her injuries were extremely grievous.

“His driving was a cause of her death, the prosecution say. He was not indicating to turn left.

“In riding her pedal cycle along the nearside she had placed herself in a vulnerable position.

“Notwithstanding that the defendant still had a duty to indicate his intention. Someone in that lane can either go straight on or left.”

The court heard that Louise had been wearing a “highly visible” gold and black checked helmet.

Mr Hurst said lorries had a number of mirrors in their cabs to help the driver see around the vehicle.

He added: “There’s a mirror to allow the driver to look and see what is immediately alongside of him.

“The prosecution say the way these mirrors are set up there is no blind spot.

“And it is not the case that it was a manoeuvre he had to engage in in a rush.”

The court heard how police went back to the scene nine days after the crash and recreated the incident with the indicator on at the same junction.

Mr Hurst said officers found it was possible to see the difference when they compared it to CCTV footage of the fatal crash.

He added: “One of the key issues in the case is to whether he is indicating or not. It was a question the police wanted to investigate.”

Haywood, of Whitwell, Derbys, denies causing death by careless driving.

The trial continues.

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