Man Found Guilty of Causing Cyclist David McCall’s Death by Dangerous Driving

According to the BBC, the Commonwealth Games medallist was knocked down by Michael Gerard Groome. Mr McCall was taking part in a race near Nutt’s corner in County Antrim in August 2008 when he was fatally injured.

Mr Groome was hurrying to catch a flight when he struck Mr McCall’s bicycle as he was overtaking another vehicle. Initially Mr Groome left the scene of the accident without stopping but did return a short time later.

Mr McCall, a father of two, worked as a civil servant and also jointly ran Sportsactive which organises cycling and walking holidays.

He won numerous cycling honours in Europe and Ireland.

As a cyclist on the roads Mr McCall was in a more vulnerable position than a road user who would drive a car. Drivers are always advised to be aware of cyclists when overtaking them and to give them as much room as possible. It appears that as Mr Groome was overtaking another vehicle at the time he was most likely unaware of Mr McCall’s position on the road.

In England over 16,000 cyclists are killed or injured in road accidents. Given this high number of accidents it is important to take precautions as a rider to protect yourself. Ensure therefore that you wear a helmet when you are cycling and try and remain as visible to road users as possible by wearing bright clothing during the day and reflective clothing at night. Remember to always use lights after dark, in the rain or if the weather is overcast.