A PROFESSIONAL carer whose car collided with and injured a cyclist on Carlisle’s Kingstown Road has been fined.

Dawn Sharples, 58, was accused initially of “causing serious injury” by careless driving but at the city’s crown court a prosecutor accepted her guilty plea to an alternative careless driving allegation.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans outlined the facts.

He described how a 68-year-old local man was cycling along Kingstown Road in Carlisle and had just passed the junction with Moorville Drive when the defendant’s car pulled out right in front of him.

“He knew that the road narrowed for a central pedestrian refuge up ahead and that there was no longer enough space for him and the defendant’s car,” said the barrister.

At that point, a collision was inevitable, said Mr Evans. The cyclist’s next recollection was waking up in an ambulance. “He had suffered an undisplaced fracture of his right clavicle,” said Mr Evans.

He was also bruised and had a head injury, which required a CT scan.

The cyclist’s arm was in a sling for four weeks as his fracture healed. Despite checking the road in both directions, Sharples failed to see the cyclist.

Jeff Smith, defending, said the defendant was a woman of previous good character who had been driving for 40 years without incident.

“She knows the area very, very well; she’s a carer and would be on that road three of four times every day,” said the lawyer. “She came to the junction with...Kingstown Road, driving reasonably slowly,” said Mr Smith.

“The vehicle to her right flashed his lights and the vehicle to her left did likewise and so Miss Sharples was encouraged by both vehicles to pull out. She turned right and was then struck by the cyclist.”

The defendant, of Bracken Ride, Belah, believed the cyclist had ridden his bike on the inside of the car that was to her left, giving her no chance to see him.

The defendant’s clean driving record until that point was indicative of a person who was a cautious driver, said Mr Smith, explaining that Sharples needed her driving licence to do her job.

Questioned by Judge Michael Fanning, Mr Smith conceded that the defendant had not mentioned being encouraged to drive on to the road by the other two drivers just before the accident.

She had, however, enquired after the health of the cyclist and said that the incident had made her more aware of cyclists.

Mr Smith added: “It’s been a very distressing period for her, being interviewed by the police twice, and told that if she admitted the offence she would go on a driving course; and then being told she’d appear before a court and get points.”

Judge Fanning told the defendant that he recognised she is a woman of good character who worked hard at a difficult job that involved a lot of driving. “The simple fact is that you have misjudged the road conditions,” said the judge.

“You didn’t see the cyclist at all and that is careless by definition.

“He was caused injury but fortunately it was not particularly serious and it’s credit to you that you expressed concern for him, not just in the interview but at the time when you stopped and waited with him till the ambulance got there.

“Sometimes, even ordinary good drivers make mistakes that that is what you have done…

“People in cars, lorries and buses have to keep an eye out for particularly vulnerable road users, such as cyclists or pedestrians.”

The Judge imposed five penalty points on the defendant’s licence and fined her £267. He added: “You just need to be more careful.”