Driver who knocked over cyclist keeps his licence (August 2011)

A motorist who ploughed into a cyclist while overtaking two cars has avoided losing his licence.

Ben Fulton, 28, was driving his BMW Z4 along the A603 Barton Road, Cambridge, when he lost control of the vehicle, hit a gravel verge and struck a cyclist last August.

Luckily, the cyclist, Tom Serby, only suffered cuts, bruises and minor back pain.

But a colleague of Fulton’s, who was a passenger in the vehicle, suffered serious injuries, including a back injury, Cambridge Magistrates’ Court heard.

Having admitted driving without due care and attention at an earlier hearing, Fulton, of Homerton Street, Cambridge, appeared at the court for sentencing.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: “Having left the roundabout, Fulton was attempting to overtake two cars when he hit the gravel verge and lost control of his BMW.

“At the time, there was a cyclist travelling towards Cambridge.

“The BMW went right across the cycle path and hit the cyclist. An eyewitness told police how the cyclist went up into the air and hit the ground.

“The cyclist managed to get himself up and started to drink some water.

“But it was the front seat passenger in Fulton’s car who suffered the most serious injuries, including a serious back injury.

“The passenger, a colleague of his, told police that he felt Fulton was driving too fast and that he feared he was going to lose control of the car.”

Charles Snelling, mitigating, said Fulton, a salesman for a property company, had shown “extreme remorse”, adding: “Mr Fulton went straight over to the cyclist and was extremely concerned.

“He has since apologised to the man and has shown extreme remorse. My client is a salesman and travels the country in his car.

“Up until now he has had an entirely clean licence.”

Magistrates endorsed Fulton’s licence with six penalty points and fined him £650. He was also ordered to pay £70 costs and £15 victim surcharge.