Van driver fined HK$4,500 over death of British cyclist, but cleared of dangerous driving
A cargo van driver was fined HK$4,500 on Tuesday for careless driving that led to the death of a British banker last year.
A cargo van driver was fined HK$4,500 on Tuesday for careless driving over an accident that led to the death of a British banker last year.
The driver, 55-year-old Lam Wing-sang, also had his licence suspended for one year. He was convicted of one count of careless driving for crossing double white lines and hatching.
But he was acquitted of another count of dangerous driving causing the death of cyclist Colin Robertson, a 39-year-old Briton who was chief financial officer for brokerage CLSA. He had earlier denied both charges.
As she sentenced Lam in Tsuen Wan Court, Magistrate Debbie Ng Chung-yee said: "The defendant's careless driving behaviour and the deceased's unwise decision of cycling on that road ... led to the misfortune."
On June 5 last year, Robertson, a leading amateur cyclist, was riding past the DHL Central Asia Hub along the South Perimeter Road near Hong Kong International Airport when Lam's cargo van collided with him. The court heard that the speed of Lam's van at the time was about 37km/h, while that of Robertson's bike was about 33km/h.
Ng accepted Lam's argument that his vision was affected by the flashing lights of a fire engine that was travelling in front of him for some time before the collision.