Seriously? Teenager Riding His Bike Blamed after Being Killed by a Speeding Driver
A Ford Focus, the car that William Davies was driving when he hit and killed 16-year old Joshua Fletcher, weighs approximately 4,000 pounds. That fact alone should be enough to make clear who holds more responsibility on the road—a driver or a cyclist—but apparently that was not the case when Davies was sentenced this week.
In fact, the blame for the fatality was placed primarily on Joshua Fletcher, the 16-year old teenager who was killed.
Fletcher, a talented rugby player, was studying to become a mechanic. According to the BBC, the court heard this week that he had decided to ride his bike to school on October 16, 2020, the day the crash occurred, because whenever he took the bus, he was late.
He was hit while crossing a busy road in Newport, Wales, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death given by the coroner was a skull fracture and diffuse cerebral injuries.
According to police reports, Davies was traveling at 48 mph in a 40 mph speed limit area. BBC reports that Senior Coroner for Gwent, Caroline Saunders, concluded that, “the excess speed at the time Mr Davies was driving has more than minimally contributed to Joshua's death.”
What she said next was disturbing
Where Saunders goes next in her statement is deeply troubling. She also reported that, “Joshua’s death was caused by a combination of Joshua failing to cross the road safely, him not heeding oncoming traffic or the traffic lights, and the excess speed at which the car was being driven.” She stated that the conclusion of the inquest would be recorded as a road traffic collision.
In other words, Joshua’s death was his own fault.
It seems reprehensible to blame a child for their own death in just about any situation, but this feels especially out of balance. According to road.cc,, the court also heard that had Davies been driving at the speed limit, 40 mph, he would have been moving at a distance of three meters per second slower, and thus would have missed hitting Fletcher, and the boy would still be alive.
Sadly, victim blaming cyclists who are killed by drivers is all too common. For us, no matter what the law says it’s common sense that if you’re in a vehicle that weighs several thousand pounds, it’s automatically your job to look out for vulnerable road users who have no protection at all.
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