Well done Hampshire Police!

I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.

Its good though that even though the cyclist *wasn't* badly hurt (in itself a good thing given the
appalling circumstances of this RTC) the cops took this incident *very* seriously.

Just look at the charge the offender has been nicked on, she will almost undoubtedly spend the
entire weekend in the cells. Of course I guess the charge will go down to dangerous driving when it
comes to Court, but it will hopefully come as a great shock and traumatic experience for a middle
aged woman to end up in the Police cells even if it is for the weekend, and it may make her think
when she next drives (which will hopefully not be until after a substantial ban and re-test)

I wonder if the arresting officer is a cyclist (Actually I thnk hantspol also use cops on bikes
quite often)

Of course if *you* were in Andover at that time, firstly please accept my commiserations, and
secondly please pass any relavant info on to Hanstpol or on 0800 555 111

Alex

= press release follows =

Detectives at Andover are seeking witnesses who saw a car collide with a pedal cyclist early Friday
morning (February 28) on The Approach roundabout by the Vauxhall garage.

Police were called to the scene at 4.40am when a caller reported that a red Vauxhall Corsa had
collided with a pedal cycle and driven away with the cycle jammed under the car.

The cyclist, a 39-year-old local man, was not injured, but was left shaken by the incident.

Shepherds Spring Lane. She is being held at Andover on suspicion of attempted murder.

Detectives want to hear from anyone who saw the collision or who noticed a red Vauxhall Corsa parked
on or near the roundabout before 4.40 am today.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Andover CID on 0845 045 45 45.

 

Mr [email protected] (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2] <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
> deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.
>

My experience of Hampshire Police was exemplary. I was knocked off my bike in Southampton and filed
a report with them (wisely as it turned out) in case there was a later dispute. Hampshire Police
asked if I wanted to prosecute (no) but then visited both the driver and a witness and took
statements and then phoned me a couple of weeks later to check everything was OK, tell me what they
had done and make sure I had the correct addresses and the insurance company details.

Given that I was dealing with several different people and offices plus this it appears to be more
than just one or two good officers.

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn

 

On Sat, 1 Mar 2003 10:51:08 -0000, "Mr [email protected] \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
>deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.

You silly person. They obviously have reason to believe that she was attempting to kill. For
example, the cyclist may be an ex-lover or something.

They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.
--
Paul Smith Scotland, UK http://www.safespeed.org.uk please remove "XYZ" to reply by email speed
cameras cost lives

 

Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.

Do you know that for sure or are you making a presumption?

Tony

--
http://www.raven-family.com

"I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them
their job."

Samuel Goldwyn

 

In article <[email protected]>, Tony Raven <[email protected]> writes
>Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.
>
>Do you know that for sure or are you making a presumption?
>
A bin man in his 50s from Church Stretton edged his lorry out of a side road and knocked off his
bike a man of 74 whom he admitted having seen. The cyclist died. The naughty bin man was charged
with careless driving, fined £200 and had his licence endorsed.
--
The Big Baguette

 

Tony Raven wrote:

> Mr [email protected] (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2] <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
> > deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.
> >
>
> My experience of Hampshire Police was exemplary.

<snip>

>
> Given that I was dealing with several different people and offices plus this it appears to be more
> than just one or two good officers.

Agreed regarding cycling incidents. I was cycling by the side of my 9 year old son on a wide quiet
Hampshire road when a motorist overtook shouting obscenities and waving his fist. He stopped in
front of us and went into a rage about riding two abreast being illegaal and dangerous. I suggested
he phoned the police if he felt so strongly about it and to report
me.

To my surprise he did just that, so I sat down and waited.

A patrol car arrived and after a brief chat with both myself and the driver, the officer then
proceeded to lecture the driver on the rights of cyclists to ride two-abreast He took down the
motorists details, checked his documents and sent him off with a flea in his ear.

We were wished a pleasant onward ride.

John B

 

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mr [email protected] (2.3 zulu-alpha) [comms room 2] <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
> > deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.
> >
>
> My experience of Hampshire Police was exemplary.

They didn't take too kindly to people having raves in Basingstoke about 12 years ago Then with
hindsight I can perhaps understand why - a lot of people on that scene couldn't cope with the
laissez-faire attitude with regard to drugs; many have since been drawn further into addiction and
destructive levels of drug use with a knock on effect on the *rest* of society (and they're not even
couriers or riding in LeTour

Hantspol certainly deserve praise for their attitude to cycling incidents. I read some stats
that they were (and perhaps are) quite heavy on giving cyclists who ride pavements the £30
traffic violation ticket (and every so often have a purge on this practice) but IMO thats being
"firm but fair".

Alex

 

"The Big Baguette" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Tony Raven <[email protected]> writes
> >Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.
> >
> >Do you know that for sure or are you making a presumption?
> >
> A bin man in his 50s from Church Stretton edged his lorry out of a side road and knocked off his
> bike a man of 74 whom he admitted having seen. The cyclist died. The naughty bin man was charged
> with careless driving, fined £200 and had his licence endorsed.

My geography might be a bit rusty, but isn't Chuch Stretton in Shropshire?

 

In article <[email protected]>, Peter Owens <[email protected]
beechroad.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>
>"The Big Baguette" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> In article <[email protected]>, Tony Raven <[email protected]> writes
>> >Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.
>> >
>> >Do you know that for sure or are you making a presumption?
>> >
>> A bin man in his 50s from Church Stretton edged his lorry out of a side road and knocked off his
>> bike a man of 74 whom he admitted having seen. The cyclist died. The naughty bin man was charged
>> with careless driving, fined £200 and had his licence endorsed.
>
>My geography might be a bit rusty, but isn't Chuch Stretton in Shropshire?
>
Last time I was through there (a week ago, in fact) it certainly was. The story came from the
Shropshire Star. Is that relevant to sentencing policy?
--
The Big Baguette

 

The Big Baguette <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> My geography might be a bit rusty, but isn't Chuch Stretton in Shropshire?
>>
> Last time I was through there (a week ago, in fact) it certainly was. The story came from the
> Shropshire Star. Is that relevant to sentencing policy?

No but it is relevant to what they are charged with which AFAIK is a police decision.

Tony

 

In article <[email protected]>, Tony Raven <[email protected]> writes
>The Big Baguette <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> My geography might be a bit rusty, but isn't Chuch Stretton in Shropshire?
>>>
>> Last time I was through there (a week ago, in fact) it certainly was. The story came from the
>> Shropshire Star. Is that relevant to sentencing policy?
>
>No but it is relevant to what they are charged with which AFAIK is a police decision.
>
I'm sure that's right. I could make some very negative comments on police prosecuting decisions in
Shropshire. They just charged a woman with quite pronounced learning difficulties with a serious
offence involving intent when, to be quite frank, the woman was incapable of forming such intent. We
hope to see it blown out shortly, but the DC responsible is known to me and I'm simply not
surprised. And then a guy gets killed and it's treated as a bit of low level carelessness.
--
The Big Baguette

 

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> On Sat, 1 Mar 2003 10:51:08 -0000, "Mr [email protected] \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >I'd never have thought I would be praising Hampshire Police on the Internet, but the old bill
> >deserve praise for treating this incident the way they have.
>
> You silly person.

Hmmm.

Colin

 

In article <[email protected]>, Tim Woodall
<[email protected]> writes
>>>
>> I'm sure that's right. I could make some very negative comments on police prosecuting decisions
>> in Shropshire. They just charged a woman with quite pronounced learning difficulties with a
>> serious offence involving intent when, to be quite frank, the woman was incapable of forming such
>> intent. We hope to see it blown out shortly, but the DC responsible is known to me and I'm simply
>> not surprised. And then a guy gets killed and it's treated as a bit of low level carelessness.
>AIUI, its the CPS who decide what charge to bring. Judging by the things I have been reading about
>accidents etc recently it appears that many (most) police think most traffic offences (other than
>fixed penalty offences) are often charged with a too low offence. (The CPS say the police don't
>provide enough evidence for the stiffer charges)
>
Not at this stage. The police brought this charge unaided, and the woman has to go into court to
answer it. As she will plead not guilty (with the aid of a citizen advocate), the case will be
referred for trial, at which stage the CPS will get involved. I don't think there's much chance the
CPS will proceed with the heavier charge (or, in all likelihood, any charge at all) but a lot of
damage will have been done -- a vulnerable woman will have had an unpleasant case chewed over in
detail in the local press.
--
The Big Baguette

 

On Mon, 3 Mar 2003 09:39:21 +0000, The Big Baguette <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, Tony Raven <[email protected]> writes
>>The Big Baguette <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> My geography might be a bit rusty, but isn't Chuch Stretton in Shropshire?
>>>>
>>> Last time I was through there (a week ago, in fact) it certainly was. The story came from the
>>> Shropshire Star. Is that relevant to sentencing policy?
>>
>>No but it is relevant to what they are charged with which AFAIK is a police decision.
>>
> I'm sure that's right. I could make some very negative comments on police prosecuting decisions in
> Shropshire. They just charged a woman with quite pronounced learning difficulties with a serious
> offence involving intent when, to be quite frank, the woman was incapable of forming such intent.
> We hope to see it blown out shortly, but the DC responsible is known to me and I'm simply not
> surprised. And then a guy gets killed and it's treated as a bit of low level carelessness.
AIUI, its the CPS who decide what charge to bring. Judging by the things I have been reading about
accidents etc recently it appears that many (most) police think most traffic offences (other than
fixed penalty offences) are often charged with a too low offence. (The CPS say the police don't
provide enough evidence for the stiffer charges)

Regards,

Tim.

--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light.

http://tjw.hn.org/ http://www.locofungus.btinternet.co.uk/

 

Tony Raven wrote:

>Paul Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> They are obviously NOT elevating a road accident to attempted murder.
>
>Do you know that for sure or are you making a presumption?

Paul's presumption in exactly what I presumed after reading the article. There must be more to it
than a simple hit and run.
--
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