Speeding driver, 75, jailed after killing cyclist, 63

A 75-year-old driver who knocked a 63-year-old woman off her bike at night while speeding has been jailed for causing her death.

Alan Morris was sentenced to 10 months in jail after hitting Mary Emerson-Reed on the B3081 between Tollard Royal and Shaftesbury in June 2023, despite the fact she was using bike lights and wearing hi-vis clothing.

Mr Morris, of Budbury Circle in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, initially claimed not to have been able to see her but later pleaded guilty to death by careless driving, after he was shown to have been travelling at 69mph on a 60mph road.

He was disqualified from driving for 29 months at Salisbury Crown Court and told to pay a surcharge of £187.

Ms Emerson-Reed, an experienced bike rider, was cycling with a friend at 23:00 BST on the night she was hit.

Mr Morris initially said he was not able to see them due to headlights coming from the opposite direction, but a police reconstruction of the incident showed they would have been visible 200m away.

Wiltshire Police thanked the family for their patience and said their thoughts were with them.

Det Con Alex Collins, from Wiltshire Police's serious collision investigation team, said: "There can be no excuse for Morris's driving. Mary and her friend had their bicycle lights illuminated and they were correctly wearing high-visibility, reflective clothing given the late hour.

"This sad case highlights the importance of giving your full attention to the road, no matter the hour."

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