Woman sent to jail for distracting a cyclist who fell under a car

A passer-by, because of which a cyclist was hit by an oncoming car, was sentenced to three years in prison for manslaughter. Read more about the incident told the publication The Guardian.

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Surveillance footage shows Oriol Gray, 49, yelling at Celia Ward to "get off the fucking sidewalk" in Huntingdon, UK, causing the retired midwife to fall onto the road.

Ward, 77, from Wyton, Cambridgeshire, died after she was hit by a car on October 20, 2020.

Grey, who suffers from cerebral palsy, denied manslaughter but was found guilty after a retrial at Peterborough Crown Court. In sentencing her, Judge Enright stated that her actions were not related to disability because the width of the sidewalk at the place where the accident occurred was 2,4 meters.

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Celia Ward's widower Davy, a retired RAF pilot, said in a statement read in court by prosecutor Simon Spence: "The video of Celia's final moments will haunt me forever. A rare day goes by without thinking about her and our happy life together.

He and his wife met in 1965 and, in retirement, loved to play golf and dreamed of seeing the world during cruise vacations.

“I miss her terribly. After a year and a half, I felt the need to sell our house and move to a retirement village near Romsey,” Davy said.

Their daughter, Gillian Hayter, remarked that her mother died "a senseless and unnecessary death on the road without those who loved her."

Driver Carla Mani, who was with her two-year-old daughter at the time, stressed that her life was "turned upside down" because of what happened.

Miranda Moore, a lawyer representing Grey, said: "What happened was just a moment that affected many." She said that Gray believes cyclists should ride on the road if the sidewalks are narrow, and elaborated that she "didn't have any intention of causing harm."

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After the verdict, Moore announced that an appeal and a request for bail would be filed.

Sergeant Mark Dollard of the Cambridgeshire Police said: “This is a difficult and tragic case. Everyone will have their own opinion about cyclists on the sidewalks and bike lanes, but what is clear is that Gray's reaction to Celia's presence was completely abnormal and ultimately declared illegal, resulting in Celia's premature death.

“I am pleased with the verdict and hope it serves as a stark reminder to all road users to take care and be considerate of each other. “I want to take the time to express my appreciation to Celia’s family and thank everyone for their patience and dignity throughout the investigation and trial,” he concluded.

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