A 20-year-old driver ‘killed a cyclist in a head on collision’ after she ‘dangerously overtook vehicles on the wrong side of the road’.
The cyclist was left with fatal injuries when Ayasha Penfold is alleged to have overtaken her in her white Mercedes.
Penfold was driving in Kingsnorth, Kent on May 31 last year when she ‘struck’ cyclist John Durey, 69.
Mr Durey was riding as part of a competitive time trial event when he the crash happened around 7.21pm.
Ayasha Penfold, 20 ‘killed a cyclist in a head on collision’ after she ‘dangerously overtook vehicles on the wrong side of the road’
Penfold was travelling on the same road but in the opposite direction when she allegedly struck him head on, the jury heard.
Mr Durey, from Lenham, Kent was rushed to hospital but the court was told he died five days later on June 5.
Penfold, from Brenzett, Kent denies causing death by dangerous driving but today admitted an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.
Prosecutor Ahmed Hossain told the jury: ‘She was driving in the opposite direction to that of Mr Durey when her vehicle struck Mr Durey head on causing serious injuries to his body that resulted in his death on June 5.’
He added that the weather conditions on the road that day were good and Penfold was a regular user of the road.
Penfold was driving in Kingsnorth, Kent on May 31 last year when she ‘struck’ cyclist John Durey, 69
Mr Hossain said: ‘The road that day was clear, there was good visibility, it was not raining and it was a straight passage of road.’
A witness, who was also a cyclist in the same event as Mr Durey, is set to give evidence in the trial.
Mr Hossain said: ‘He was travelling behind him in the same event and said Mr Durey was on the near side of the correct lane in his direction of travel when Penfold’s car appeared in their lane.
‘So Miss Penfold’s car appeared in the wrong lane.’
There were two cars ahead of Penfold just before the collision and one of their drivers was Claire Gordon.
Mr Hossain said: ‘She saw the defendant come up behind her and what she perceived was speed, before moving into the next lane, so the lane Mr Durey was driving in.
‘Moving into that lane and then to execute an overtaking manoeuvre.’
After Penfold’s car was examined it was found that there were no mechanical difficulties which may have caused the collision.
She was also found to be driving within the 60mph speed limit on the road.
Mr Durey’s Garmin device attached to his bike was analysed by police and showed he was travelling at 21mph.
The court heard that on June 26 2017 Penfold gave a prepared statement to police in which she said she had previously been in a serious car accident and taken additional lessons before driving.
She said she was a competent driver and had not been distracted by anything prior to the incident.
She claims Mr Durey was near the central lane in the road and she could not have avoided the collision and that she had braked and come to a halt when the cyclist collided with her.
In a statement released at the time of the crash, John has been described by his son Oliver as an ‘inspirational father who has always been extremely patient and nurturing’.
John, who regularly took part in charity cycling events, was also a member of the Ashford Wheelers Cycling Club and enjoyed travelling around Europe on his bike.
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