This heartbreaking story sums up our last 2 days on Twitter. THREAD.

What happened? A driver *killed a man, and left him in the road to die*.

The victim was riding a lit bicycle, in high vis for all that mattered.

Let’s unpick the tragic reality of how our system responded. https://twitter.com/issaddlethereis/status/1324429084051591168
We know what happened, now. In some detail. A man who’d taken cocaine, driving a pickup truck, likely in excess of the speed limit, drove into a man and thought he’d hit something as big as a *deer*, which came across his bonnet. He left the scene without further ado.
It’s not clear how and when the driver was caught; when the police tested him, he said he’d been drinking, but fair play to him, he only tested positive for the cocaine at that point.
From personal experience, I defy anyone to have arrived at the scene and not instantly realised that the cyclist had been hit by another road user. There wouldn’t have been doubt about it. Indeed the report says a witness heard the impact and tended to the victim.
That could have been any of us, or a loved one, on a bicycle or as a pedestrian. The implication that we have spoken politically on this issue, or in disrespect to those affected by road violence, including traffic police, is patently wrong and reprehensible. We speak as victims.
That could have been any of us, or a loved one, on a bicycle or as a pedestrian. The implication that we have spoken politically on this issue, or in disrespect to those affected by road violence, including traffic police, is patently wrong and reprehensible. We speak as victims.
That could have been any of us, or a loved one, on a bicycle or as a pedestrian. The implication that we have spoken politically on this issue, or in disrespect to those affected by road violence, including traffic police, is patently wrong and reprehensible. We speak as victims.
That could have been any of us, or a loved one, on a bicycle or as a pedestrian. The implication that we have spoken politically on this issue, or in disrespect to those affected by road violence, including traffic police, is patently wrong and reprehensible. We speak as victims.
Steven Allitt killed a man.

An appalling event. A man lost his life. A mother lost a son.

And as much as some people linked to the system will be righteously indignant at this being said, civil society as good as swept it under the carpet, in proportional and linguistic terms.
The outcome? It took two years and nine months to reach it.
‘Careless’ driving. Speeding, drugs, didn’t stop. ‘Careless’.
32 months in prison. I wonder what Allitt will actually serve. For killing a man and driving off.
4 years and 4 months driving ban. He can drive again soon.
The charge, and the sentencing, is a stain on society. Without the pickup truck, it was manslaughter. Plenty of folk in the justice system share that frustration. But today, with our exchanges with our local police and Chief Constable in mind, let’s take one step further back.
The charge, and the sentencing, is a stain on society. Without the pickup truck, it was manslaughter. Plenty of folk in the justice system share that frustration. But today, with our exchanges with our local police and Chief Constable in mind, let’s take one step further back.
The charge, and the sentencing, is a stain on society. Without the pickup truck, it was manslaughter. Plenty of folk in the justice system share that frustration. But today, with our exchanges with our local police and Chief Constable in mind, let’s take one step further back.
The charge, and the sentencing, is a stain on society. Without the pickup truck, it was manslaughter. Plenty of folk in the justice system share that frustration. But today, with our exchanges with our local police and Chief Constable in mind, let’s take one step further back.
The charge, and the sentencing, is a stain on society. Without the pickup truck, it was manslaughter. Plenty of folk in the justice system share that frustration. But today, with our exchanges with our local police and Chief Constable in mind, let’s take one step further back.
This is how the incident was euphemistically described by Hertfordshire police a few hours after it happened. The only thing the driver did, was leave the scene: https://www.herts.police.uk/news-and-appeals/Did-you-witness-a-serious-road-traffic-collision-in-Aldenham
This is how the incident was euphemistically described by Hertfordshire police a few hours after it happened. The only thing the driver did, was leave the scene: https://www.herts.police.uk/news-and-appeals/Did-you-witness-a-serious-road-traffic-collision-in-Aldenham
This is how the incident was euphemistically described by Hertfordshire police a few hours after it happened. The only thing the driver did, was leave the scene: https://www.herts.police.uk/news-and-appeals/Did-you-witness-a-serious-road-traffic-collision-in-Aldenham
I’m not going to waste time explaining the misrepresentation and objective disparity of treatment in the construction of that piece. If you can’t see that that’s not right, I can’t help. To emotively talk about the trauma of these incidents to bat away this point, isn’t fair.
Selectively removing actors from descriptions of incidents does not seem to happen for other offences, despite various protestations about imputing guilt. In any event, drivers hit people and things with cars and are found ‘not guilty’ often enough, I’m sure.
Selectively removing actors from descriptions of incidents does not seem to happen for other offences, despite various protestations about imputing guilt. In any event, drivers hit people and things with cars and are found ‘not guilty’ often enough, I’m sure.
Selectively removing actors from descriptions of incidents does not seem to happen for other offences, despite various protestations about imputing guilt. In any event, drivers hit people and things with cars and are found ‘not guilty’ often enough, I’m sure.
Most incidents reported in this way after they happen, DON’T subsequently get reported in the media again, with the outcome, and accurate description of the event. This affects public perception. It affects driver behaviour. Driver behaviour kills more people. It all continues.
Now, @mummybycycle and I took a lot of flak as a result of the way CC Adderley responded to our raising the issue. We will respond separately and formally to that. But please, one more tweet and this is what we’d ask you to do, to support victims and prevent misreporting.
Now, @mummybycycle and I took a lot of flak as a result of the way CC Adderley responded to our raising the issue. We will respond separately and formally to that. But please, one more tweet and this is what we’d ask you to do, to support victims and prevent misreporting.
Now, @mummybycycle and I took a lot of flak as a result of the way CC Adderley responded to our raising the issue. We will respond separately and formally to that. But please, one more tweet and this is what we’d ask you to do, to support victims and prevent misreporting.
Now, @mummybycycle and I took a lot of flak as a result of the way CC Adderley responded to our raising the issue. We will respond separately and formally to that. But please, one more tweet and this is what we’d ask you to do, to support victims and prevent misreporting.
Now, @mummybycycle and I took a lot of flak as a result of the way CC Adderley responded to our raising the issue. We will respond separately and formally to that. But please, one more tweet and this is what we’d ask you to do, to support victims and prevent misreporting.
You can follow @FamilyByCycle.
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