A van driver who was distracted by his phone before colliding with and killing a cyclist on a dual carriageway in Norfolk has avoided prison, instead being handed a 12-month sentence suspended for 18 months and a 12-month driving ban after admitting causing death by careless driving. Campaigners have described the judge’s decision as tantamount to the death of a cyclist ‘not carrying meaningful consequences’ and urging authorities to enact tougher sentencing.
Roads.cc reports that Shayne Hill, now aged 32, who hit 54-year-old Cheryl Tye in a 60mph collision while she was taking part in the East District 50-mile time trial championship between Croxton and Eccles on 26 June 2022.
After more than four hours of deliberation by a jury, Hill was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving earlier this year. He was in court for sentencing on Thursday 2 October after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.
During trial, the court heard that Hill was “engaged with his phone” for 10 seconds while driving his blue Citroën Dispatch van before the collision at 9.35am on the A11 dual carriageway. In the immediate aftermath, a woman who stopped at the scene reported that Hill said he “was looking for my drink. I didn’t even see her. What will I get?”
Hill told police that his phone was in a holder and was being used for mapping purposes. His sister sent around 25 WhatsApp messages of photos from a family barbecue the previous day, and Hill claimed that the “flurry” of phone activity before the collision was him touching the screen to wipe away the notifications.
In a social media post, Norwich Cycling Campaign deplored the sentence handed down to Hill, claiming the punishment was evidence that “…killing a cyclist through distraction does not carry meaningful consequences.”
“Looking at a phone while driving is not a ‘brief distraction’ – it is lethal”, said Norwich Cycling Campaign.
“[A] 12-month driving ban does not reflect the gravity of taking a life. Suspended sentences show cycling deaths can happen with almost no accountability. Cheryl Tye’s death was entirely preventable. Distracted driving is deadly, and sentencing must reflect that reality.”
(Pic: Mapillary)
