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news
Niggy and Christian Townend.jpgCoach driver charged over deaths of two brothers killed while cycling last December
Cumbria Constabulary have arrested a 43-year-old man from Carlisle in connection with the death almost exactly a year ago of two brothers killed while cycling on the A595 near Silloth.
Robert Wightman, has been charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the incident on 5 December 2010 that claimed the lives of Christian Townend, aged 29, and his 21-year-old brother Nicholas, known as Niggy.
Wightman, who was driving a coach involved in the incident and who was arrested by police at the time, is due to appear at Workington Magistrates Court next Friday 9 December.
The news comes just days after the death of another cyclist elsewhere in Cumbria.
Geoff Davis, aged 51 and from Kendal, lost his life on the A590 at Levens in an incident involving two Volkswagen cars, a Golf and a Passat, reports the Westmoreland Gazzette.
A police investigation into that incident is continuing, and anyone with information is asked to call them on 0845 3300247.
Latest Comments
- David9694 12 min 54 sec ago
Thing is, you no longer can trust accounts like this one ...
- jaymack 12 min 59 sec ago
Je croiserai les doigts (as you can see my French is on par with my ancient Greek!)
- wtjs 22 min 20 sec ago
it wasn't, as the original comments said, a 'close pass'....
- Another_MAMIL 27 min 6 sec ago
I'm disappointed by the colour choice. While I'm not in the hi-vis mafia when it's sunny, my rain jacket must be visible in wet weather. Why isn't...
- KiwiMike 39 min 14 sec ago
'Family link to the offence'?...
- eburtthebike 48 min 25 sec ago
They've only got two wheels on the road, so it doesn't count as parking in the road.
- OnYerBike 50 min 46 sec ago
I agree with essexian - can't think of any reason beyond the council/contractors forgot when they resurfaced the road at some point between 2014...
- wtjs 52 min 6 sec ago
Superbly put!
- webbierwrex 52 min 46 sec ago
Not that I'll be paying £500 but are these the same last as the latest Torch and Torch 3.0? Or an even newer, wider last?
- Rendel Harris 1 hour 37 min ago
Judging by Mrs H's admiring remarks about Mr Del Toro's abdominals, it certainly didn't damage the image of the sport in this neck of the woods!
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4 comments
Standard of proof is pretty high to bring case of causing death by dangerous driving. You have to show that the standard of driving fell "far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver", which often means providing evidence of bad driving leading up to the actual incident. It can take a long time to put such a case together.
Bit of a catch22 then. Is it little wonder that so few end up being prosecuted. I was fortunate when I got caught up in a hit and run a lot of years ago. The driver that hit me had been followed by another driver from when he had got into the car with a skinful. Police were able to add the charge of careless driving with failure to report and leaving the scene. The bugger still got a 6 month suspended driving ban as he required his licence for his business.
Not mentioned in the police statement, I'm afraid. We did have a comment to another story recently from someone working within the criminal justice system who outlined some of the reasons why investigations into RTCs could continue for some time before the CPS decided to press charges; a year still seems a long time, however.
A whole year..? Why so very long?