U.K. Bus Driver Jailed After Shock Video Shows Him Ramming Cyclist
- Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:03pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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A bus driver in the U.K. has been sentenced to 17 months in jail for running down a bicyclist and intentionally ramming him last April.
The moment was all captured on video. It shows driver Gavin Hill, 29, swerving into cyclist Phillip Mead. The two had apparently gotten into and argument while driving down the road.
Mead was sent flying as a result of the incident and suffered a broken leg and fractured wrist:
Judge Mark Horton had some stern words for Hill: “You used the bus as a weapon to bully and intimidate Mr Mead.”
The Daily Mail recounts what led up to the incident:
The court heard how Hill got into a heated exchange with Mr Mead at the St James Barton roundabout in central Bristol at 8.30am on April 5 last year.
Mr Mead is said to have tugged at one of the bus’s windscreen wipers before they both moved away from a set of traffic lights.
In past interviews, the Daily Mail adds, Mead tried to give Hill the benefit of the doubt:
‘I think he meant to brush against me and give me a fright.
‘I don’t think he set out to break my bones, or at least I like to think not. I remember losing my balance and rolling over a couple of times.
‘I tried to stand up and could see that my bike was under the bus between the front and back wheels.
‘It doesn’t matter to me what sentence he gets, it won’t change what has already happened.For me what is important is that he has acknowledged what he did.’
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Comments (71)
LastingLiberty
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 9:30pmThat is awesome. Damn bike riders get into the bike lane. Hell, in Portland OR. you are expected to run over at least 3 pedestrians. If you hit 4 they will let you retire early with full benefits.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 9:22pmSkilled driver, nicely done.
Report Post »MYHEROISRON
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 7:24amRamming speed!!!
Report Post »proliance
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:35pmInstead of a jail sentence the bus driver should be forced to ride a bike to work for 17 months.
Report Post »WeekendAtBernankes
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:51pmThe driver’s employment should be terminated and imprisoned for probably three times as long as he was. If the guy has a “moment of madness” in which he nearly commits vehicular manslaughter over a verbal argument with a total stranger, he’s too dangerous to be in public. God forbid, his wife burns his toast or a waiter spills water in his lap.
Report Post »Pancy Nelosi
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 8:00pmyes, yes, excellent bus handling skills. Score 1 for the bus driver!!
Report Post »TheCoffinMaker
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 10:06pmYou can see the bicyclist provoked the bus driver. It can be seen in the video how the bicyclist moved farther right in the lane as the bus tried to go around him.
Michael Savage talks about the cyclists in San Fransick’o all the time.
I’d have a boxing glove on the end of an expanding scissor-lever mounted to the side of the bus, just like in the Little Rascals’ episode!
Report Post »TheYoungForProsperity
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 8:39pmI think that’s hillarious! I get tired of those stupid bicyclist getting in the way all the time. They want to “share the road”, but instead of waiting in line like everyone else at redlights, they always go from the back to the front, and when the light turns green their in the D*** way and nobody can get around them, then you catch another light, and here they come again pedaling right back up to the front again… psshhh, share the road, yeah right. I love stories like this :). If you want to share the road, maybe he should of got insurance on his little bicycle, and blinkers, and everything else… :)
Report Post »WeekendAtBernankes
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:49pmNo one likes driving with cyclists but to rejoice because a man ran one down, fundamentally trying to brutally kill or injure him, because they got into a verbal spat? You’re one ****. Probably liberal.
Report Post »dr pepper
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 5:39pmWhat if Mr. Mead could not afford a vehicle and used the bike as his means of transportation. All throughout college my bike was my car and I would travel on any given day 30 to 40 miles. You feel inconvienenced or put out by a cyclist, oh the humanity!! A true cyclist will follow the rules of the road and that means riding in the same direction as traffic along with the same rules as vehicles. I do understand there are many folks on bikes who disregard the rules of the road, but having been hit several times by vehicles pulling out from side streets and running into a few others who passed me up and abruptly turned in front of me could allow me to make the same pathetic arguement. I was blessed as to never get seriously injured, but purchasing new parts for my bike was a hassle and expensive.
This bus driver made a deliberate act to hit him and cudos to the cyclist for his response. Having ridden the bus and ridden a bike on the same streets, I can assert with much confidence many bus drivers believe they own the road and despise having to share it with anyone (car or bike).
Patience is a virtue and unfortunately our society is becoming less virtuous every day. God’s speed.
Report Post »alpha2omega47
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:59pmHey give the driver a break ~ he was probably just having a bit of a bad day. :-)
Report Post »flatbroke
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:58pmWatching this vid is tooo satisfiying, although i would not run over the man or anyone, Many bicyclists are arrogant, fools, the ones in my town ride in the street, never signal when making turns, and stop right in front of you. they think that just because they are on a bike, they automatically have right of way, and do not have to signal anyone, when changing lanes, stopping, or cut threw multiple lanes of traffic. bikes need their own lanes and trails.
Report Post »ramburner
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:45pmIf these kinds of behaviors really bother you; NEVER come to the Philippines! The pedal bikes, 100cc powered Tricycles with and without passengers hold up traffic on the major routes every day! Sometimes I want to run them right over. I forget I am on a motorcycle. But it frustrates the heck out of me why the laws are such that this kind of thing can exist and these people really feel they have the right-of-way! I say if you cannot move at the speed limit, you should not be allowed on the road!
Report Post »mike_trivisonno
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:16pmBicyclists should stay off the roads. I am always mystified the way they plod along in traffic surrounded by tons of fast moving machinery seemingly unaware of the danger in which they place themselves. And they ignore traffic laws at every opportunity with an air of entitlement that is dangerous.
Ride elsewhere.
Report Post »SFsuper49er
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 5:35pmI have a license and cycle ! When you do both you learn to respect the other. If your in a vehicle and have a operator license it’s your job to look out for others that are smaller just like you would like tractor& trailers to look out for you. When i’m in a car i never have a problem respecting cyclists because i do both .
Report Post »N-TIME-WATCHER
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:06pmThe video is sufficient, case closed……….GUILTY!
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:29pm17months? He got off easy!
Report Post »shogun459
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 4:46pmIf your eco then your better than everyone else, the roads are yours baby!
Report Post »Who cares that a car gets a ticket for blocking traffic and eco fascists don’t.
And you wonder why this happens.
dr pepper
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 5:55pmCyclists have the same right to the road as you, period. Now, this does not mean they should impede the flow of traffic unless they have no choice and even then they should try to stay as close to the shoulder as safety permits. Most cyclists hate riding on busy streets or in traffic, but obviously you believe you are so much more important than anybody on a bike. I bet you believe the cyclist should run off the road whenever you approach and avert their eyes so as to not insult you. Think back to your post the next time a semi cuts you off or passes you up when its raining and overwhelms your windshield wipers.
Report Post »AnAmerican111
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 4:19pmIn America we call drivers like that “West Virginia pickup Trucks”!…………..
Report Post »….can’t read or write so they never have understood bikes have the same rights on the road as cars
THE EQUALIZER
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 4:17pmI do not see the problem. These smug idiots need to move over. I need a bus.
Report Post »RebelYell1862
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:35pmI carry a water gun in my truck and when I get behind these cycle people in their spandex and fruity looking helments they get a good spray when I go around them.
Report Post »ET43
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 4:03pmI have a bucket of rocks. So when I pass em I just throw rocks at them.
Report Post »RedDawn2012
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:38pmAnd I’m a cyclist who carries a gun just for people like you, ET43.
Report Post »TheYoungForProsperity
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:50pmA Gun, a water gun? I bet you RebelYell1862′s gun is bigger than yours… maybe a super soaker 3000 :)
Report Post »ltbdb
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:30pm@SGTB
Report Post »You are right about one thing, bicycles have the right to use the road same as a car. But,I am yet to see a license plate on a bicycle nor do they pay the fuel taxes that motor vehicles pay to build and maintain the roadways so you are way off base claiming bicyclist pay their way for road maintainence.
You may have the same rights to the road as a motor vehicle but you should use some common sense. A fifty pound bicycle is going to lose against a 40,000 lb tractor trailer every time but it will look great when they put on your tombstone,“He had the right of way”.
Bicyclist, just use a little common sense and don’t put yourself in harms way just to prove a point and motorist look out for motor cycles and bicycles. No one wants to be involved in an accident that severely injures or kills someone. That is something you will have to live with the rest of your life.
betterthantv
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:28pmSorry, but this guy is my hero. Driving around Atlanta dodging the sickly thin bicyclists wearing their cute little tights is driving me insane! The worst part is that the city has built numerous bike paths for these fools and they still insist on driving in the road. One day I may just have to “accidentally” bump one of em!
Report Post »SureYaDo
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:17pmits pretty obvious from the video that the guy on the bike was intentionally trying to slow the bus down, he got what he deserved for being a dbag. unfortunately bus driver got caught
Report Post »Larry E
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:25pmI used to ride a motorcycle to work in Seattle and had bus drivers and car drivers who figured that they had the absolute right of way because they were bigger. Strangely none of them ever wanted to get out and talk about it. They were cowards like you are blowhard.
Report Post »SureYaDo
Posted on February 19, 2012 at 12:20pmyes larry you sure put me in my place on an internet forum.. WATCH IT, WE HAVE A BADASS OVER HERE!! dbags no matter what they drive (or write) need to be bitch slapped like this guy and you
Report Post »twistin
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:55pmWe’ve all wanted to do that…just sayin’.
Report Post »Miyegombo Bayartsogt
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:08pmOh, seems I’m not alone feeling the ache in the belly while fighting the terrible temptation to put right some bike ridden by rude, arrogant, spandex sporting sports nazi with the bumper of my car.
Report Post »Warphead
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:38pmI was driving down the road at 50 mph, came around a bend and nearly nailed one of those idiot “Lance Armstrong wannabes” wearing his little aerodynamic pointy hat and ballerina tights. The road is clearly marked 50 mph and here this fool is doing about 7 mph right in the middle of the road. When confronting these idiots why they would do something so blatantly dangerous, and not to mention stupid, their response is always the same. It is in their moron handbook or something. Almost every time they come back all cocky and state that “Legally we have as much right to the road as everyone else”. And my reply is always the same, “I’ll have them put that on your headstone moron”. Gas has gotten really expensive. I see some regular guys in their work uniforms bicycling to work. They are always on the shoulder, the sidewalk and out of traffic. So what is it with the yuppie idiots in their tights, butt stuck up in the air riding down the middle of the road endangering everyone around them? If I had a say, if you ride a bicycle out of necessity then be careful and good luck. If you are an idiot riding in the middle of the road “for your health”, blocking traffic and daring anyone to say something, then I hope the next thing you see is the bottom of an oil pan. So I can clearly see why someone could be enraged when stuck behind one of these fools.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:10pmHey D!p5H!T ! The road IS a piece of public use land for the specific use of travel. It is the right of anyone to use said road to travel. Also, road bikes are not as robust as a car. Hitting a rock or pothole can damage a rim or puncture a tire, not to mention throw you off course into a car driven by a jackhole like you. If you think that bicycles should ride on the shoulder, then just try driving your car on the shoulder for a while! You‘ll stop as soon as you realize all of the CRAP that is on the shoulder because it isn’t cleared off by the traffic running over it. You’ll get real tired of the sound of gravel bouncing out of your fenders in a hurry. Oh, and don’t worry about the 3 nails and shard of a beer bottle that ruin your tire either.
The truth is that EVERYONE pays taxes that support the roadways and EVERYONE has the RIGHT to use them to travel. If that means that you have to slow down and then pass a bicyclist every so often, then so be it. But stop being a whiny B!T(H about it. Your support of the use of a deadly weapon to force other traveler off the roadway because they are not utilizing your preferred method of transportation is maniacal and should be grounds for the revocation of your license. Then you can ride a bike to work every day.
Report Post »YellowFin
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:16pmI cannot argue against your perspective. Everyone hates these arrogant bicycle fools, we just hesitate to express it. Once in a while some driver just gets fed up.
Report Post »YellowFin
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:18pmSgtB just proved my/our point.
Report Post »bboatmanable
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:50pm@yellowfin
Report Post »No, SgtB didn’t prove your point. I’ve never ridden a bike for “health” or “sport” reasons, but simply to get to work. And I was nearly run over, or off the road on a regular basis because others either 1) weren’t parying attention, or 2) didn’t give a crud. Do bike riders have laws and rules to follow like everyone else, yes, do most cars/trucks/etc. ignore the bike riders safety on a regular basis…YES! There are simply times when the side of the road/shoulder are just UNFIT for bikes to travel on. Give the rider the benefit of the doubt and calmly go around when you see them. Thanks.
DD313
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:52pmI really get irritated with cyclists who ignore the rules of the road. They ride on sidewalks, go the wrong way on one-way streets, and act as though red lights and stop signs don’t apply to them. I almost killed one on a rural road when he suddenly decided to make a left turn without giving a signal, just as I had pulled out to pass him. Had to make a sliding turn into the, fortunately empty, oncoming lane of the side road to avoid him. Nevertheless, no conduct by the cyclist in the video could come close to justifying what the bus driver did in this case. You gotta share the road with all kinds.
Report Post »PVChapin
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:56pmIf a bicycle were meant to travel on a road it would be capable of traveling at the speed limit.
Report Post »YellowFin
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:13pmbboatmanable,
Okay, I will try to heed your counsel. Thanks. :-)
Report Post »Homeschoolmama
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 3:26pmI use the sidewalk or shoulder most of the time, but when I cross an intersection I use the traffic lane. That is the best place to be seen and not get run over. I was almost run over once when I was using the crosswalk. Also people coming out of parking lots don’t look for bicyclists on sidewalks. I try to always make eye contact before crossing in front of a car.
Report Post »Snidely
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:11pmI’ll treat bicyclists like they have a right to be on the road when they start obeying the rules of the road. They are a traffic hazard. They run stop signs, ride on the wrong side of the road, and pretty much think that the rules don’t apply to them. I’ve ridden a motorcycle long enough to know that you ARE hard to see.I always treated a car at a stop sign (when I have the right-of-way) as if they don’t see me, until I make eye contact. Even then I try to be ready if they still pull out in front of me.
I have relatives that live in the Rocky Mountains. They are mountain men, whose family moved there in the 1800′s. Whenever they pass one of those arrogant spandex-wearing yuppies riding on the mountain roads, they drop their diesel pickup into a higher gear. Lugging the engine produces a lot more smoke.
Report Post »Siabot_Guru
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 9:31amAlright, I ride on the nice wide shoulders here in Oklahoma on the Right of way(Grass Side) side of the rumble strips. What would you like for me to do when A law biding driver crosses the Yellow strip over the rumble strips to Scare me off the Road. Hmmm..
Regardless of what the cyclist did the bus drive had no right to intentionally ram the cyclist off the road. There was a heated debate between the two of them Sure. The Cyclist was impeding traffic Sure. But what about calling the Police and reporting the cyclist for holding up traffic. This story would have be Very Different if the cyclist was Killed by the bus driver.
For all you cage drivers bring it on. I carry Mace/Pepper Spray for undesirable dogs that chase after me. They get tired real quick when I’m cruising 20+mph. Non lethal sure, you can’t use a bicycle as a lethal weapon like you can a 2000+lb car. Remember that next time you think about running someone off the road.
Report Post »Wool-Free Vision
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:28pm“It’s just a flesh wound, honestly… nothing to write home about. Oh, that! It’s just a leg! I’ve got another one. I’ll pop by the chemist and be right as rain in the morning.”
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:02pm.
The Roadtard was in the way. It would have been better if the bus had a Brush Guard…..
Took aim at him like a Fat Kid in a crosswalk….
Report Post »cranberry
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:01pmnot nice driver. I have kids all the time wandering in the middle of the street after the bus lets them off. it’s like they think they can just walk down the street and i should have to wait for them or something. that’s what sidewalks are for. I don’t go on your sidewalk, please let me drive my car in the street.
Report Post »KeithOlberdink
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:41pmAnother fan of the game Simpsons road rage! Bravo!
Report Post »snowdrop
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:37pmIt looked like the cyclist was riding in the middle of the street instead of the side, and they have both had issues with each other before, but the bus driver clearly wanted to make a point, and was wrong.
That being said, I would not want to drive a bus in a city, and cyclists have become very aggressive, considering they don’t pay any road taxes or user fees.
At least in UK it used to be difficult to sue and make millions out of something like this, unlike the USA.
Report Post »Warphead
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 1:40pmI would say he got his point across alright, not just one lane but two.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:15pmCyclists don’t pay road taxes??? Since when? Do you really think that your tag fee covers your use of the roads? If that was the case, then why does it cost more to tag a motorcycle than a pick-up? Localities receive funds from their local sales taxes, property taxes, and state handouts to pay for roads to be built. It doesn’t all come from vehicle registration. BTW, what about when you drive to another county or state? You didn’t pay for “those” roads with your vehicle registration. So why should you be allowed to drive on THEIR roads? It is the same argument you are putting forward. Do you see how idiotic you sound now?
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:32pmYou know I don’t want to defend this bus driver because at the end he did seem to go around and then swerve over to knock him off the bike and this was intentional. However, after watching the video over and over the bicyclist seems to be on the side of the bus and not visible, then the bicyclist is riding in front of the bus appearing to block his way, the bus swerves around as if to pass, but the bicyclist appears to move over to block the bus driver again, this is when the bus driver knocks him off the bike. The bicyclist is not innocent here either and I think should be fined heavy for impeding the bus.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 2:19pmReally? You want to fine the victim of attempted murder with impeding traffic? Isn’t that like charging a woman with indecency after she gets raped?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:24pmYou see? Fossil fuels wipe out Green Energy every time.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:34pmPeddalist prompted bus-bullying?
>Momemtay madness misconduct minimizes mental MEness
Report Post »DD313
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:22pmWrong-side-of-the-road rage!
Report Post »WhiteFang
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:21pmI have to admit I have been very annoyed at bicyclists on occasion. Enough said.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 12:28pmJust check for cameras Fang.
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