Cyclist Seriously Injured in A688 Crash: Defendant Pleads Not Guilty to Dangerous Driving Charge

Strategic Insights -

A shocking incident occurred on April 26 last year when a cyclist was thrown onto the bonnet of a Ford Focus at the junction of Bleach House Bank and Stillington Lane, County Durham. The cyclist suffered severe head injuries, including a smashed windscreen, and was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. The defendant, Martin Nichol, has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving and has denied the charge.

Key Takeaways:

  • Martin Nichol, a 64-year-old defendant from Chester Road, West Cornforth, has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving in connection with a crash on April 26 last year.
  • The collision occurred at the junction of Bleach House Bank and Stillington Lane, near the County Durham boundary with Stockton.
  • The cyclist was thrown onto the bonnet of a Ford Focus and suffered severe head injuries, including a smashed windscreen.
  • Paramedics tended to the casualty on scene before he was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where he was treated for life-threatening injuries.
  • The defendant denied the charge at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court on May 13.
  • The case was adjourned for a trial, with the soonest start date set for January 11, 2027.

Statistics:

  • 1 cyclist seriously injured in the A688 crash
  • 1 defendant, Martin Nichol, charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving
  • 1 vehicle involved in the crash, a Ford Focus
  • 1 junction, Bleach House Bank and Stillington Lane, where the crash occurred
  • 1 hospital, James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where the cyclist was treated
  • 2027, the year in which the trial is scheduled to start in January

Sources:

  • The Northern Echo
  • Durham Crown Court
  • James Cook University Hospital