Horror as cyclist, 81, dies after being struck by driver sending Snapchat selfies
James Lawley was lying in the road after being hit when he was struck again by another car.
OAP killed by driver who had been taking Snapchat selfie
A cyclist was killed by a motorist who had been taking Snapchat selfies and texting seconds before crashing into him, a court heard. James Lawley, 81, was riding his racing blue tricycle when he was struck by Matthew Isherwood, 28, who was behind the wheel of a black Seat Altea.
Seconds before the crash, Isherwood was on his phone texting on social media apps Snapchat and Instagram. A short time after the collision, the innocent pensioner was run over by Kevin Dawson, 64, as he lay helpless in the road.
Emergency services found Mr Lawley critically injured in Oxcliffe Road, Heaton-with-Oxcliffe, Morecambe, on September 21, 2024. Despite paramedics' best efforts the pensioner, from Heysham, died at the scene.
Isherwood and Dawson were sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Monday (June 8). Isherwood, 28, of Granville Road, Morecambe, was sentenced to five years and two months after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
He was also disqualified from driving for seven years and seven months. To drive again, he will have to pass an extended retest, the court heard.
Dawson, of Hale Carr Lane, Morecambe, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for 20 months after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.
He was also given a 26 weeks electronic curfew and disqualified from driving for 18 months. He will also have to pass an extended retest to drive again.
Dawson failed to stop after running over Mr Lawley, but officers were able to identify the Mercedes C200 he was driving and Roads Policing Unit officers intercepted the vehicle on the Bay Gateway where he was arrested. Isherwood was arrested at the scene.
A comprehensive investigation into the collision was launched. It included forensic collision evidence, reconstruction work and digital forensic inquiries.
It found Isherwood was using his mobile phone multiple times during his journey that morning. Disturbing data from Isherwood’s mobile phone showed he started his journey at 7.41am.
He had only been driving for four minutes before he collided with Mr Lawley, but within those four minutes he took and sent a selfie on Snapchat.
Isherwood sent Snapchat messages to three other people, looked at photos and videos on Instagram and then sent a message on the platform to a fifth person just seconds before the collision.
Three minutes after the crash he sent another message on Snapchat saying: "I’ve just hit someone".
Dawson told officers he did not know he had hit Mr Lawley, claiming he thought he had hit some rubble in the road so did not think he needed to stop.
Det Sgt Matt Davidson said: "James Lawley was a lifelong cyclist and a member of many prominent north west cycling clubs.
"At the time of the collision he was riding to marshal at a cycle race in Hampson Green. But instead, as a result of these two collisions, James very sadly lost his life."
He added: "Whilst no sentence will ever be enough to make up for the loss of his life, I welcome the fact Isherwood and Dawson have been held accountable for their actions on that tragic morning.
"My hope is that this devastating case will act as an impactful reminder of the fatal consequences of using your mobile phone whilst driving, driving dangerously and carelessly, and the lifelong impact these actions can have on all people involved."
