Auriol Gray (49) was walking on the sidewalk when 77-year-old Celia Ward passed her on her bike. The Petersborough court found in its report that Gray angrily nudged the elderly woman. The pedestrian asked the cyclist to “get off the damned sidewalk,” according to the court.
Within seconds, Ward, a retired midwife, ducked out into the street. Surveillance footage showed Grey, who has cerebral palsy, raising her hand, causing Ward to lose his balance.
With fatal consequences: When she falls, Ward gets caught in the tracks of a car that can no longer stop. For them, any help comes too late: Arriving at the scene of the accident, the rescue workers can only determine that she has died.
When rescuers rushed to the scene, Gray fled on foot to nearby Sainsbury’s to buy groceries.
During questioning, Gray told officers she was visually impaired and “terrified” of the bike on the sidewalk. She added that she “unintentionally” raised her hand.
Gray was sentenced to three years in prison by the court today, Thursday. Her lawyer announced that she would appeal because “there was no intention to cause harm,” as quoted by the Daily Mail. A parole officer also stressed that Gray would be at risk if placed in prison.
Chief Investigator Mark Dollard said: “This has been a difficult and tragic case. Auriol Gray’s reaction to Celia’s presence on a bike was totally out of proportion.”
He hopes that the verdict is “a clear reminder to all road users to be careful and considerate”.
