SHOCK AT DEATH OF CHILD BIKER

BY SARAH WHELAN AND PAUL COSTELLO

06 October 2005

A teenager has told how he desperately tried to save the life of a 14-year-old boy who was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident.

The victim, not yet named, died in hospital despite Robert Perdiew's desperate attempts to resuscitate him.

The police have confirmed the youngster was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, which happened in Somercotes Hill, close to the Black Horse pub, at about 7pm on Tuesday.

Mr Purdiew (17) rushed to the boy after he and his girlfriend witnessed the accident from a car at the junction of Cinder Road.

He said: "We were waiting for him to pass but he suddenly went up the kerb and into the wall.


"He wasn't going very fast. It can't have been much more than 10mph.


"I went over to him. He was unconscious but still breathing, and he stayed like that for about five minutes before he suddenly stopped breathing.

"I'm a trained lifeguard so I started giving him the kiss of life and CPR and after about another 10 minutes he did actually start breathing again.

"But that was only for about five minutes and then I went back to trying to resuscitate him for another 20 minutes before the paramedics came."

Mr Purdiew said the boy's mother then arrived and was in a very distressed state.

The boy was taken to King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, but died a short time later.

A resident of Cinder Road said: "We do get a lot of young people on motorbikes up here because it's a dead end apart from the park.

"A lot of them don't wear helmets or protective clothing. It's very sad and we're all shocked, but it was an accident waiting to happen.

"I can't believe he was so young. It's very upsetting."

Joyce Burrows (86) also lives near the scene. She said: "It's a terrible shame and very shocking.

"There are quite a few youngsters with bikes around here, but you don't expect something like this to happen."

Several cards were left with flowers yesterday at the scene of the accident, including some from the teenager's friends.

One said: "To a great M8 sadly missed. We will always remember you, love always, Laz, Kirsty, Loren, Bonna, Widdo and Ricky."

Another read: "God Bless you, you have been taken by the angels. You will always be in our thoughts and hearts. I know you will be watching over us. God bless, now you can sleep. All our love, Yvonne and Cameron"

It is not known why the teenager was riding the motorbike, but it is illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to ride a moped or motorcycle.

A spokesman for Derbyshire police said the boy had been riding a red Suzuki 125cc motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet.

Anyone who witnessed the accident should call police on 01773 572929.

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=131596&command=displayContent&sourceNode=124371&contentPK=13267303

Theo Usherwood

 

16 September 2005 

 

Neighbours told of their shock at the death of a single dad killed in a cycle accident yards from his home.

 

Garry Percival, 45, was walking out of a friend's garden when he was hit by a mountain bike.

 

Police believe the cyclist was among a group of three who all left the scene.

 

Friends say Mr Percival had just become a granddad for the first time.

 

He is believed to have hit his head as he fell in Ravensdale Road, Mansfield.

 

The cyclists fled in the direction of Bath Street, shortly after the accident at 7.50pm on September 6.

 

On Monday, Mr Percival, a father-of-three, died in the intensive care unit at the Queen's Medical Centre.

 

His 11-year-old son and two teenage daughters are being cared for by relatives.

 

Next-door neighbour Amanda Peppard, 28, said: "Garry would do anything to help you as a neighbour.

 

"He was a single parent and his son is so polite and well-mannered.

 

"I thought a child had been killed at first. There were lots of police and ambulances. Then I was told it was my neighbour.

 

"We are plagued by youths here speeding around on bikes, skateboards and mini-motorbikes.

 

"It was an accident waiting to happen. We should now have speed bumps down here."

 

Last night three bunches of flowers had been laid where Mr Percival fell.

 

Attached to each were touching messages from his children.

 

One read: "To the greatest dad ever. You will be missed by everyone of us."

 

Another said: "I will never forget you. I will see you again soon."

 

A close friend also paid tribute.

 

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "Garry was very good natured and lived for his children. It was just so unexpected."

 

Police have launched an investigation. DI Dave Sinclair said: "We have information to suggest the offending cyclist was among a group with one to three other cyclists, all of whom failed to stop at the scene.

 

"We need to speak to anyone who can offer descriptions of these people, information on their identity or the manner in which they were cycling."

 

Anyone who has information should call 0115 967 0999 ext 3133, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

 

 

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134430&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134241&contentPK=13194746

 

 

 

Man Dies In Cycle 'Hit-And Run' 

 

14 September 2005 

 

A Man has died after being hit by a pedal cycle in Mansfield.

 

The 45-year-old was in intensive care for nearly a week after the incident. He died at 7am on Monday at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

 

He has not been formally identified by police. A post-mortem examination into the cause of his death was expected to take place today.

 

Det Insp Dave Sinclair is investigating the incident, which happened in Ravensdale Road, near Blake Crescent, Mansfield, at 7.50pm on September 6.

 

He said: "We have information to suggest the cyclist was among a group of between one and three other cyclists, all of whom failed to stop at the scene.

 

"We need to hear from anyone who can offer descriptions of these cyclists, or any information on their identity or the manner in which they were riding their bikes at the time."

 

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134430&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134241&contentPK=13182520

 

 

 

5th October 2005
 
A 23-year-old man was airlifted to hospital with spinal and pelvic injuries after an accident at a Newark industrial estate.

An air ambulance crew was called to New Link Business Park at 8.45am yesterday after reports of a pedestrian being involved in an accident with a road rolling machine.

The injured man was flown to Lincoln County Hospital where he is being treated.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=134430&command=displayContent&sourceNode=134241&contentPK=13264587

 

Airlifted?

Must have been extremely serious then!

 

Roller must have been doing 30.

If it was 35 it would have killed him!

 

 

Technology To Drive Revolution In Road Safety

By David Millward, Telegraph Transport Correspondent
10th October 2005

An array of technology is being developed across Europe that will radically change the way in which road safety laws are enforced.

Motorists who already regard speed cameras as evidence of the encroachment of the Big Brother state should brace themselves for devices that will not only tell police how they drive, but make legal retribution swifter.

[IE Raise Revenue Rapidly!]

Several of the initiatives already up and running in countries from Sweden to Italy are being monitored by the Department of Transport as it looks for a 40 per cent cut in the number of deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads by 2010.

[Not DEATHS then!]

From a black box in the boot to "alcolocks" on the dashboard, the car of the future is likely to be crammed with equipment designed to keep drunken drivers away from the wheel and slow down speeders.

Motorists should brace themselves for more roadside cameras that will catch drivers who tail gate or do not put on their seat belt.

Police cars will also be better equipped to mete out justice. Twenty-three forces are already equipped with automatic number plate recognition systems, cameras that can instantly recognise a car and within seconds establish whether it is taxed and has an MoT test certificate.

Within the next few months it will also be linked to a motor insurance database, enabling officers to catch uninsured drivers instantly.

More than likely the officer will be equipped with some form of handheld computer, linked to the internet. The driving licence which will be inspected by the officer could well be a biometric smart card - on which endorsements and other personal information would be stored on a chip.

It could also contain iris recognition or fingerprint data if it is combined with a national identity card. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which is seeking 10,000 volunteers to participate in a trial of the licences, has started talks with the passport agency over integrating the data on a combined document.

Some other initiatives are under way abroad. The Dutch and Israelis have started testing cameras designed to identify motorists who tail-gate.

The Department of Transport said it had "no plans" to follow suit, but existing roadside cameras can already pick up motorists driving dangerously close to the car in front, enabling the police to intervene.

Another Dutch initiative - cameras that can identify a motorist driving without a seat belt - is being "watched with interest" by the department. It is equally interested in an Italian experiment to crack down on illegal overtaking. This entails placing sensors in the middle of the road which are linked to roadside cameras. If a motorist tries to overtake illegally, by crossing double white lines, the offence is picked up and recorded.

Alcolocks, a device that stops a car starting if the driver is over the legal limit, have been fitted to 6,000 cars in Sweden. The motorist has to breathe into a tube and the ignition will not start unless the reading is below the drink-drive limit. The Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament gives motorists the opportunity to cut a long driving ban if they agree to have one fitted to their car.

"Black boxes" - electronic data recorders - are already being used by Norwich Union as part of its "pay as you drive" motor insurance scheme. The Government believes that they could also be used to provide information about how a car was driven in the moments leading up to a crash.

From:

http://motoring.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/10/ncar10.xml

 

So, the Dutch are experimenting with tailgating cameras.

As I understand it the Germans already use them.

British cameras can already detect tailgating.

But the government has no plans to do anything with them.

That'll be because there is no tailgating limit they can automatically fine you for breaching!

 

Yet more proof they're NOT safety cameras!

 

I was wondering if our tractor salesman had a thing about road rollers too?