Motorist tells of shock as cyclist is killed

Published on 10/01/2004 00:00

A HAIRDRESSER told a court she saw a cyclist knocked off his bike by a hit-and-run driver.

Gillian Brunton spoke of her shock as she witnessed the fatal accident on the A68 near Dalkeith, Midlothian.

"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing," said the 32-year-old, whose terrified seven-year-old son was in the car as she drove towards the scene of the crash.

Cyclist Allan Moir, 34, was heading home from his work in a research lab at Riccarton on January 24 last year when a Mercedes Vito van drifted in towards the kerb as it passed him, the High Court in Edinburgh heard yesterday. He died from head injuries, thought to have been caused by something sticking out from the van.

The court was told that the Mercedes van was fitted with large rear-view mirrors - and the nearside mirror was found at the scene.

The court also heard that Mr Moir, of Kippielaw Road, Dalkeith, was wearing a helmet and reflective jacket at the time - just after 5pm on a Friday evening.

Ian Young, 42, of Duneel, Main Street, Oxton, Lauder, admits that he was driving the van, but denies a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

He also faces charges of failing to stop and failing to report the accident.

Hairdresser Ms Brunton, of Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, told the court her work took her all over Edinburgh.

She was driving towards Dalkeith on the A68 near Lugton Brae when she saw a cyclist and a van just behind the bike.

"The next minute, the van just made a manoeuvre to go into the kerb, where the cyclist was. I shouted to my son: ‘What is he doing? There is a cyclist there. There is a bike’.

"I saw the van coming in towards the kerb, then the cyclist went out of my sight. I thought: ‘I hope he is ahead of the van’.

"He sort of trapped the cyclist and then I saw the cyclist getting thrown off." She said the van drove on and there was nothing she could see which would have caused the vehicle to move in towards the kerb.

"I couldn’t believe what I was seeing," she added.

Ms Brunton told the court that the van did not hit the cyclist, but was "sort of grinding along the side to make him fall off".

Advocate depute John Hamilton, prosecuting, asked if it looked as though the van driver might have fallen asleep.

"It is difficult to say. He maybe could have... I don’t know," replied Ms Brunton.

Thomas Harrison, 29, and his wife, Audrey, 32, from Dalkeith, described how they stopped at the scene and Mr Harrison lifted the bicycle from on top of Mr Moir.

The cyclist was clearly badly injured, the court heard.

Mrs Harrison said she noticed a wing mirror lying on the ground and moved it because she did not want her car to run over it.

The trial continues on Monday.