Articulated lorry driver cleared of careless driving after running over and killing Birmingham cyclist

The Birmingham Mail reports that lorry driver, Graham Driver, has been found not guilty of causing the death of Muthumanaka Pinhamy by careless driving. Mrs Pinhamy was struck and crushed when Driver pulled out of a side street, but he said he was unaware that this had happened.

Mrs Pinhamy, a mother of five, had been cycling to work at 6.30am along Speedwell Road, Hay Mills on 4 October 2013. CCTV footage captured the moment when Driver pulled out of a side road, striking and crushing Pinhamy.

Driver went on to make a delivery in Speedwell Road before leaving the scene. When later questioned by police, he said he had not been aware that he had hit a cyclist and claimed to have made all the proper checks. Mrs Pinhamy was discovered by refuse collectors shortly afterwards but later died in hospital.

Hugh O’Brien Quinn, prosecuting, told Birmingham Crown that Mrs Pinhamy had been wearing a fluorescent and reflective jacket and had both front and rear lights on her bike. He also said that the street lights were on.

“The prosecution case, in a nut shell, is that Mrs Pinhamy was there to be seen and that the defendant did not see her because he failed to look properly, or possibly look at all.”

O’Brien Quinn also alleged that Driver later phoned a colleague and told him that there had been an accident, that somebody had been knocked off their bike and that he did not know whether he had run them over.

Driver said he was wrong to have left the scene but denied causing death by careless driving: “I do not think I could have done anything different when I took the junction.”