Norfolk man not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving

Shayne Hill has been on trial following the death of Cheryl Tye, who was struck as she cycled along the A11 dual carriageway at Roudham, near Thetford. Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Norwich Crown Court [1] has heard Hill, 32, was said to be "engaged with his phone" for 10 seconds prior to crashing into Ms Tye at 9.35am on June 26 2022. The A11 near Roudham (Image: Google) The 54-year-old cyclist, who was taking part in an organised time trial, died after hitting the windscreen of Hill's blue Citroen Dispatch van, before being thrown into the air and landing in the road.

Cheryl Tye (Image: Submitted) Hill, of North Walsham Road, Norwich, went on trial on July 30 after he denied causing death by dangerous driving [2] following the crash. On Monday (August 4) a jury of nine women and three men took just over four-and-a-half hours to find Hill not guilty.

Hill, who wore a white shirt, had already admitted a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving.

Judge Anthony Bate, who said it had been a "sensitive and sad" case, adjourned sentence until October 3 so a pre-sentence report can be prepared. Judge Anthony Bate (Image: Newsquest) The defendant had declined to give evidence in the case.

Michael Clare, who represented Hill during the trial, said his driving had been careless rather than dangerous. The trial had heard Hill said to a woman who stopped to help after the crash: "I was looking for my drink. I didn't even see her.

What will I get?" Hill told police he was using his phone in a holder as a satellite navigation device and could see message notifications from a recent family barbecue flashing up. But he added that the notifications were partially obscuring his screen so he had to clear them by touching the screen to see his phone clearly

Ms Tye, a former manager of Hadleigh town council in Suffolk, was a keen triathlete and cyclist and member of Plomesgate Cycling Club. She was killed as she was taking part in a 50-mile trial event organised by the Breckland Cycling Club, which involved riding on a section of the A11 between Snetterton and Thetford. She was said to be wearing a white and yellow top with flashing lights on her front and back.

The crash happened on a straight section of the road with good visibility, in fine weather conditions. Following her death, cycling time trials were suspended on the dual carriageway pending a review into safety measures. In a tribute, former Hadleigh Town Council mayor Frank Minns said [3] Cheryl achieved some "really good" things as council manager.

Mr Minns added: "She was at the council for about 15 months and she was quite a dynamic and determined person and unmistakably from Yorkshire. "She did some really good things and her biggest public triumph was last year's Christmas in Hadleigh, which was really largely down to her organising it and it was a huge public success. "She had a close connection with this council and it owes her a great debt for what she did while she was working for Hadleigh Town Council.

"We are all deeply saddened and shocked to hear about what happened to her.

"There are things that she did that will be remembered and she was a real tower of strength in helping me for things we could and couldn't do during the pandemic.

"She was a fine and honest person and I had quite a close working relationship with her and whatever I achieved I would not have managed without her support."

References

^ Norwich Crown Court (eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com)
^ denied causing death by dangerous driving (eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com)
^ Hadleigh Town Council mayor Frank Minns said (www.edp24.co.uk)