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Inquest into 11-year-old Abingdon schoolgirl's death told her bicycle was in a dangerous condition (From Herald Series)
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Inquest into 11-year-old Abingdon schoolgirl's death told her bicycle was in a dangerous condition
3:27pm Tuesday 12th January 2010
A SCHOOLGIRL killed in an accident on her way home from school was riding a dangerous and unfit bicycle at the time, an inquest was told.
Tragic Ty-Ree Partridge’s bicycle had one rear brake pad and a loose wheel. Eyewitnesses recall seeing her wobble before she fell into the path of a lorry in Copenhagen Drive, Abingdon, in July last year.
The 11-year-old Larkmead School pupil, of Gibson Close, Abingdon, was wearing a helmet, but died of severe head injuries the next day.
Last night, assistant deputy coroner Richard Whittington called on schools and parents to teach children basic cycle maintenance.
At the inquest into her death, Thames Valley Police vehicle examiner Philip Balderstone said Ty-Ree’s pink mountain bike was in a dangerous condition and the worst he had seen for years.
He said: “I actually rode the bicycle and as you rode it the rear wheel could be felt to be moving constantly. The rear wheel appeared to be loose. You could get hold of the rear wheel and move it left to right, up and down — there was 15mm of movement to the rear wheel. The rider would be aware of this.”
Noticing it was dangerous, Ty-Ree’s mother’s partner, James Turner, of West St Helen Street, Abingdon, said he told her not to ride it to school — and had planned to repair the cycle at the weekend.
Ty-Ree had stayed late at school the night of the accident to attend a science club and was riding home with a friend when the incident happened.
The court was told the boy she was riding with heard Ty-Ree shout out moments before the accident.
Lorry driver Roy Beer said: “She was setting off and lost her footing.
“I thought to myself ‘Gosh, she will fall off and hurt herself in a minute’, as I went past I heard a thud and my mind was ‘Oh God, no’ — another second she would have missed me.
“Her foot definitely slipped.”
Recording a narrative verdict, Dr Whittington said: “Ty-Ree was a pedal cyclist riding her bicycle, which was in a very poor state of maintenance, when she wobbled and fell into the path of a passing heavy goods vehicle.
“It is of paramount importance those which have care and responsibility for children who use bicycles that those bicycles are examined and checked at regular intervals. Teachers and headmasters and those responsible should undertake some instruction for children to be responsible for their vehicles — and this applies to parents.”
After the inquest, Larkmead School headteacher Chris Harris said: “We at school do emphasise to our students the importance of their bicycles being in good working order and of them wearing protective equipment.
“Ty-Ree’s tragic death is something that is still felt by the school, as it is her family.
“Our thoughts are with her family at this particular time.”
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Your Say YourOxfordshire
Berty, Abingdon says...
5:17pm Tue 12 Jan 10
Gunslinger, Abingdon says...
11:15pm Tue 12 Jan 10
This despite speed not being an obvious factor, the existence of a segregated cycle/footpath on the town side of the road, and no particular need for either pedestrians or cyclists to cross to the far side.
Reducing the relative convenience/attracti
veness of this route would surely just increase the amount of traffic on other routes through the town centre, including Wootton road, Faringdon Road, where there are of course several schools....
wallingford1, wallingford says...
9:46am Wed 13 Jan 10
carioca, Abingdon says...
10:54am Wed 13 Jan 10
Firstly about the condition of the bike. At that age a dodgy brake or wobbly wheel is probably not too much of a concern, in the same way that exceeding the speed limit or using a mobile phone is for many drivers. As the police do not enforce the law about checking road worthiness of bikes, drivers with phones etc. you think you will get away with it. The lesson here is that parents and schools need to be firmer about making sure kids are safe cyclists, i.e. cycle defensively with the right gear. What often horrifies me is the bikes used by many of the kids are often the cheapest supermarket own brand mountain bikes, which are not very durable, and not easy to maintain, so are often not terribly safe.
As regards the cycle lanes to and from the schools, by and large most of them are a joke. Can you imagine driving along a road full of potholes and broken glass, that suddenly ends without warning? Unless we get proper decent cycle lanes, then bikes will have to share the road with cars, and in town centres life would be a lot safer with an enforced reduced speed limit.
Both cyclists and drivers should respect each other more, and behave in a more civil manner. Driving too fast, or cycling with no lights is just selfish and helps no one.
BTW Wallingford, the 2009 statistics from road deaths prove that excessive speed is the most common cause of fatalities.
Invisible, Poole says...
11:18am Wed 13 Jan 10
The assistant deputy coroner's suggestion that schools and parents should teach basic cycle maintenance sounds good in theory. However, it would appear that Ty-Ree's machine was in such a state, that it would have been beyond the capabilities of any 11 year old child to actually put right! Surely the emphasis needs to be about persuading children (and quite a few parents) to have their machine regularly serviced by a qualified expert in the field of cycle maintenance? There are far too many death traps out there, with far too many cyclists willing to take the risk of using them. This unpalatable situation is not helped; when we have large supermarket chains selling rubbish-quality bikes (together with a rubbish-quality spanner) - offering the fanciful notion they can be easily put-together by the user...
Richard of Wantage, says...
11:41am Wed 13 Jan 10
Perhaps the school should take some responsibility in checking that their pupils arrive and leave on suitable bikes. But more importunately we should have better standards for bikes rather than the dangerous and substandard bikes sold by supermarket chains. Instead of buying your child a cheap new bike made in China which breaks in weeks, buy a quality used bike which will last years if maintained correctly.
wallingford1, wallingford says...
11:51am Wed 13 Jan 10
carioca wrote:yes...but speed or bad driving is not an issue with this tradegy. A cycle lane wouldnt have made any difference either, a fall into the road is a fall into the road.
I saw the local news last night, and I knew there would be some comments about this today. This is really sad, and I am sure all road users, cyclists and car drivers feel sorry for the poor family. But this accident should not be used as an excuse to persecute cyclists or deter riding to school. Firstly about the condition of the bike. At that age a dodgy brake or wobbly wheel is probably not too much of a concern, in the same way that exceeding the speed limit or using a mobile phone is for many drivers. As the police do not enforce the law about checking road worthiness of bikes, drivers with phones etc. you think you will get away with it. The lesson here is that parents and schools need to be firmer about making sure kids are safe cyclists, i.e. cycle defensively with the right gear. What often horrifies me is the bikes used by many of the kids are often the cheapest supermarket own brand mountain bikes, which are not very durable, and not easy to maintain, so are often not terribly safe. As regards the cycle lanes to and from the schools, by and large most of them are a joke. Can you imagine driving along a road full of potholes and broken glass, that suddenly ends without warning? Unless we get proper decent cycle lanes, then bikes will have to share the road with cars, and in town centres life would be a lot safer with an enforced reduced speed limit. Both cyclists and drivers should respect each other more, and behave in a more civil manner. Driving too fast, or cycling with no lights is just selfish and helps no one. BTW Wallingford, the 2009 statistics from road deaths prove that excessive speed is the most common cause of fatalities.
Berty, Abingdon says...
12:26pm Wed 13 Jan 10
There is a cycle path where the accident happened, but as wallingford1 has said, a fall into the road is just that. Everyone involed must be heart-broken. I just wish them peace, and that the harsh lessons learned won't be forgotten.
carioca, Abingdon says...
12:27pm Wed 13 Jan 10
wallingford1, wallingford says...
2:47pm Thu 14 Jan 10
carioca wrote:Quite the opposite, a family member is a fireman so I hear the real tales too. Problem I have is that it's always the car drivers that are at fault, or that there arent enough cycle ways. Well from my experience, bike riders are just as at fault 99% of the time (jumping red lights, no lights, unfit condition of cycles, not looking properly, not even using cycle ways and riding on the main road or footpath, etc etc) so I am merely standing up for the rights of drivers, and in particular, this poor van/lorry driver who was involved through no fault of his own. 20mph or 30mph......it was all in the sad timing of this event.
Wallingford, by your tone you seem to infer that breaking the speed limit is not a problem? It may not caused this accident, but it causes many of thousand of others... Sorry if a 20mph limit on urban roads means slowing traffic down, but it is necessary.
Berty, Abingdon says...
8:05pm Thu 14 Jan 10
carioca, Abingdon says...
9:45am Fri 15 Jan 10
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wallingford1, wallingford says...
4:41pm Tue 12 Jan 10