Bus driver jailed for using his vehicle as a weapon

Have we done this yet?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-17063165

Amazing video of the bus driver wiping out the cyclist on purpose, i’m surprised it hasn’t been in the news (or maybe i missed it).

At least the driver got a jail term rather than being let off for once although to tbe fair the video evidence was pretty overwhelming.

errm, your link is to the news?

proper road rage incident, though 🙁

bloomin heck!?!!?

Jeebus! 17 months seems hardly enough.

Interesting to watch the cyclist too though. You can see him veering out across the lane – away from the kerb – as the bus starts pulling out to overtake.
Moral: never play chicken with a bus.

That is horrific. Thank goodness for CCTV (and I rarely say that). Mind you, I’m not sure what the car driver is doing at the end when s/he mounts the pavement and looks to be about to run over the cyclist!

ou can see him veering out across the lane – away from the kerb – as the bus starts pulling out to overtake.

i think he is moving into the right hand lane to take the right turn, maybe not though.

Still looks scary scary stuff

I don’t know what the fuss is about – he indicated.

😯

turin – Member

i think he is moving into the right hand lane to take the right turn, maybe not though.Possibly – although I can’t see him signalling to do so.

Mind you, I’m not sure what the car driver is doing at the end when s/he mounts the pavement and looks to be about to run over the cyclist!

I think the driver hasn’t mounted the curb, but has driven into the bus park area to check on the cyclist.

Like I needed a(nother) reason not to go to Bristol.

That is horrific.

Sentencing Hill Judge Mark Horton said the consequence “was not an accident”.

Interesting line from the judge.

You’d never guess he drove buses from his physique.
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Road-rage-bus-driver-hit-cyclist-Bristol/story-14332449-detail/story.html

I think the cyclist was using a flashing rear light…

On what possible grounds was the bus drivers defence?

think the cyclist is holding middle of left lane in preparation to move to right turn lane with bus already tailgating (but could be foreshortened) bus accelerates to beat cyclist to right lane – cyclist moves across anyhow – no words to describe what happens next – big up for the peugeot driver stopping straight away to help – same for pedestrian

edit article posted by ian munro says that they had an argument at earlier roundabout

Sounds like the cyclist took umbridge at the bus driver’s previous moves, propped his bike up against the bus to have a rant at him then moments later this happened. In no way can anyone condone the bus driver’s actions but you have got to remember when having arguments with people in a position to squash you if you wind them up too much that one day one may do just that. The law being on your side and being in the right is no comfort when you are dead.

Gerald Creed, managing director of Bugler Coaches said:
“We can assure all passengers that this was an isolated incident by a driver that badly let down our company.

it isnt the passengers that should be worried!!!

Lucky to be alive.

they had an argument at earlier roundabout

And I suspect the cyclist then made a right nuisance of himself before the event. Not clever at all. Not that this is in any way condoning what the bus driver did, because it isn’t, but moreover I think people should really think about their actions when riding/driving/walking. Getting angry and having an argument doesn’t help anyone. Just ignore it and ride/walk/drive on, and ride/walk/drive on normally. Don’t be an abbreviated Richard.

The drivers “defense” was “it was a moment of madness”. Horrffic accident but people in cars/buses very rarely seem to think about the possible consequences of roadrage, and thats not just cars vs cyclists but cars vs cars, buses vs cars etc….It’s just cyclists are the most vunerable.

What do you need to do to get done for attempted murder?

Coyote – Member
What do you need to do to get done for attempted murder?

Attempt murder?

The intent to kill.

It’s not the same as having disregard for life

17 months is a joke. That’s attempted murder in my book.
I hope that the drivers life is ruined sufficiently that he has plenty of time to reflect on the reasons why.

Wierdly I’m going to hold this up as a case for justifying an increase in bus driver’s pay! We pay wedges to those involved in finance but a bus driver in charge of a massive death machine and having to deal with agressive public both in their bus and outside whilst needing to stay calm are not paid massive incomes. Pay a bit more and you’d have a greater field of applicants and might avoid employing lads like this that couldn’t avoid rising to the bait.

Just ignore it and ride/walk/drive on, and ride/walk/drive on normally. Don’t be an abbreviated Richard.

And let the driver think that their behaviour towards cyclists is acceptable?
I raised an arm in disbelief at a bus driver a few weeks ago, nothing aggressive. He pulled along side and asked what the problem was and how much space did I want when he was overtaking. A bit more than the 30 odd cms he had given me, close to 1.5m would be could. No reply and he drove off. No agro, no abuse and maybe he learned something. By doing nothing would leave him believing that giving 30cms when overtaking is fine, which it clearly is not.
A bit like this place, quite and polite discourse will help educate those with opposing view points.

One question though is if he had killed him would he have been charged with manslaughter?

I rode past about 5/10mins after that (when the ambulance crew were attending). I couldnt work out how the guy had ended up where he had as his bike was still stuck unter the bus. i guess the video answers all of my questions…

Isn’t it reasonable to assume that assaulting someone with a 20 ton vehicle could result in death very easily? How is that different to stabbing someone?

17 months sounds reasonable to me.

Tell you want tho – If I had been the cyclist and had been in an altercation with a bus driver for sure I would not have been there immediately after – I would have been somewhere else altogether not where the driver would have any opportunity of swiping me like that

nice spot by the rider at the bottom of the frame.

Attempted murder does not require intent to kill. If you are sufficiently reckless to the outcome of your act that can be enough, according to the law. The exact term is ‘wicked recklessness’, and the definition is: 1. intent to do bodily harm
2. which can foreseeably lead to death
3. and shows utter indifference as to whether the victim lives or dies…

Nailed on for 1 and 2, and a pretty close call for 3, I’d have said.

Having said that, I wouldn’t want to risk him not being convicted at all.

Looking at the first 2 -3 seconds the traffic pulls away , but the bus ( and hard to see cyclist ) are staionary . Maybe the cyclist is doing a trackstand ? or deliberatly blocking the lane . The queue of staionary traffic behind the bus supports this .
Angry cyclist pulls away , as does bus. He then trys a block manoevere , and bus driver goes postal and sideswipes the cyclist .
IMO
Bus driver is a bum hole tho

I had to watch that about 10 times…I can’t believe how the driver tried to physically drive over him. I though perhaps he was trying to clip his back wheel…but that would have been even worse as he would have then fallen off right in front of the bus.

Agree with CFH.

Cyclist’s road position looks daft even without a prior altercation.

Sadly one ex bus driver lets the side down for all the proffesional drivers out there,lets also hope he looses his licence and has to walk or ride a bike.

One question though is if he had killed him would he have been charged with manslaughter?

no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manslaughter_in_English_law#Motor_manslaughter

whatever the cyclist had done there is no justification for that. scary really.

dangerous bus drivers have in part attributed to my re-routing my commute.

Told you … many zombies around nowadays.

Stay safe … Don’t forget your Benelli M4 while out.

Check these …

So they go on strike, demand higher pay … then try to run down a cyclist.

The Bus Driver deserved jail for that, as he could have quite easily have killed that guy..

However.. I feel this video should stand as a warning to all those f**kwit cycle commuters who cannot resist picking fights at every oportunity.
He’d already wound the bus driver up by leaning his bike up against the front of the bus and having a row, it then looks like he is deliberately riding right in the middle of the road to hold the bus up.

Moral of this story – the Bus driver was a C**t, but the cyclist didn’t help himself… life is too short for pointless rows, and he was very lucky to be alive.