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A woman has been fined and given seven points on her driving licence following an incident involving a cyclist earlier this year.
Twenty-two-year-old Emma Way made national news in May after tweeting about her collision with cyclist Toby Hockley on a Norfolk country road.
Her tweet, which read: “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have right of way – he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists”, was forwarded to police by concerned Twitter users and prompted Mr Hockley to lodge a complaint.
Despite claiming she checked her mirror and was satisfied Mr Hockley was unharmed, Way was convicted of failing to stop after an accident and failing to report it, but acquitted of driving without due care and attention.
She was ordered to pay a £337 fine and £300 costs, while the media also reported that she was sacked from her accounting job in the wake of the incident.
Tweets never prosper
This incident is not the first time careless tweets have caused someone to fall foul of the law this year, but it is by far the most high profile case involving a cycling accident claim.
Indeed, were it not for the tweet it is doubtful the case would ever have come to court. Mr Hockley suffered only minor bruising and admitted he initially intended to keep the incident quiet so as not to worry his girlfriend.
Prosecutor Stephen Poole observed: “It is the tweet which has put this into the public arena.”
Way has called the incident “ridiculous and stupid” and “the biggest regret of my life so far”, telling ITV’s Daybreak that she had faced online bullying in the wake of the tweet. She has since deleted her Twitter account.
Advice for road traffic accident victims
While this is certainly quite an unusual road traffic accident case, there are of course many similar incidents that go unreported every day in the UK.
If you have been injured in an accident that was someone else’s fault, there may be other ways Manchester personal injury law firm, Sheldon Davidson, can help you prove this without the assistance of a suspect broadcasting their crime to the nation.
This applies even to hit and run cases or accidents where you were hurt by an uninsured driver, so contact our team of personal injury claim specialists today to talk about the best way to proceed with your claim.
As well as successfully helping many clients claim the compensation they deserve following a road traffic accident, Sheldon Davidson also supports clients with a multitude of other forms of personal injury claims, including accident at work claims and clinical negligence claims. So, for expert advice on how to secure the maximum compensation for your injuries, contact Sheldon Davidson Solicitors for expert advice and support.