Sister of pensioner killed by cyclist calls for update to law

Calls for the Government to update laws to make dangerous bike riding a serious crime have been backed by the sister of a pensioner killed by a hit-and-run cyclist.

Christine Berridge's brother, Peter McCombie, was killed when a cyclist jumped a red light. Now she has added her name to a growing list of those calling for the Road Traffic Act to be updated to ensure cyclists who break the law can be prosecuted in a similar way to motorists. She says she fears ministers are afraid of the cycling lobby.

72-year-old Mr McCombie was killed in 2020. He had been walking home from a hospital where he was a human resources administrator and waited on a central island for the "green man" to signal it was safe before crossing a road in Bow, East London. As he crossed, he was struck by 23-year-old Ermir Loka who was riding "furiously" on a "cycle superhighway".

Loka got back on his bike and fled the scene as pedestrians helped Mr McCombie, who was bleeding badly from brain and skull injuries. Eight days later, Mr McCombie died in hospital.

Loka gave himself up 25 days after the collision. He was cleared of manslaughter but jailed for causing bodily harm by "wanton and furious" driving, which is a crime under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. The maximum sentence available for which is two years.

70-year-old Mrs Berridge, a mother of two from Essex, said: "There must be some charge that would merit more than two years in jail. This has got to be changed. "

A spokesperson for the Department of transport said, "Any death on our roads is one too many … That is why we have launched a review exploring the case for specific dangerous cycling offences and will soon publish our response."

Altrincham