Boy, 16, relives night pal was mown down
A 16-year-old boy relived in court the horrific moment his friend was killed by a hit-and-run driver as they rode home on unlit bikes late at night.
The boy, giving evidence via a video link, told a judge at Preston Crown Court his pal Dylan Crossey had ridden off the pavement and onto the road “around three seconds” before a BMW car collided with him, causing devastating head injuries.
But under cross examination by defence barrister Christopher Stables he admitted he had told police the day after the crash it was only “a split second” between Dylan riding onto the carriageway and being hit.
David Harwood, 42, of The Close, New Longton has pleaded not guilty to causing death by either dangerous or careless driving.
The court heard Dylan and his friend were cycling from Longton to Farington along a dimly-lit stretch of Wham Lane, Whitestake when the collision happened at around 11pm.
It has been alleged Harwood, was on his way to see a woman he had just met on a dating site that night and drove away from the scene leaving Dylan critically injured in the road. The prosecution claim he could have been inputting her address into his satnav at the time of the crash.
The boy, who was the only eye-witness to the crash, said he tried to comfort Dylan in the road, cradling his head, but realised he was seriously injured. Two detectives, who had a brief chat with the boy the morning after the incident, said he had told them both had been riding without lights and wearing predominently dark clothing.
The boy confessed he had not heard the car approaching before it ploughed into the rear of Dylan’s bike at the side of the carriageway almost next to him. The car did not stop, nor did he see any brake lights.
(Proceeding)