Marie Vesco
Marie Vesco
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Age: 19
Location:
A23 Hinkstead
Brighton
United Kingdom
from the CTC forum:
The following is by the parents of Marie Vesco:
My
daughter Marie Vesco was killed exactly one year ago while cycling on
the A23. A driver intending to leave the road clipped her bicycle as she
passed causing Marie to fall. The following car, driving too close
behind, ran over her and she was killed. Neither driver was prosecuted.
At
the inquest the coroner recommended that proper sign posting, to direct
cyclists to a quieter road, should be installed as a matter of urgency.
The
Minister of Transport has replied that it may be done in the year
2009/10. Nobody has been held responsible for killing Marie. We are
abandoned to grieve the loss of our beautiful child; in the life long
knowledge that her death was treated as of no more value than a cat.
Friends
and Family have placed a white 'ghost' bicycle by the side of the A23
on the southbound carriageway just before the offslip to Burgess Hill
[A2300], at Hickstead Junction, where she was killed.
We ask ourselves who will be next. We are angry that nobody cares and nothing has been done to protect us.
from the Argus
Family of dead cyclist place "ghost bike" on A23
9:00am Monday 8th June 2009 in
By Samuel Underwood
The ghost bike placed at the side of the A23
The family of a French cyclist who died as she rode along the A23 have
expressed their anger that their daughter “died for nothing”.
Marie Vesco was involved in an accident as she and a group of friends
made their way to a Smash EDO protest in Brighton last June.
But a year after her death, Marie's boyfriend Seb Achaibou, her father
Jacques and her mother Dominique have seen their campaign for better
signage to improve the safety of cyclists come to
nothing.
In a statement they said: “One year has passed and Marie has died for
nothing, like an animal squashed on the road, with not a single sanction
for any of the responsible parties.
“Today we are very angry as we realise that in this affair, our daughter is the only victim.
“We are seeking justice for Marie – what about her human rights?
“We ask ourselves who will be next. We are angry that nobody cares and nothing has been done to protect us.”
They wanted clearer signage put up along the road to inform cyclists of cycle paths that were available for them to use.
Now, one year later, Marie’s family and friends have placed a white “ghost bike” to mark the spot where Marie was killed.
Speaking to The Argus, they criticised the authorities for not reacting more swiftly to prevent other accidents in the future.
Her parents said: “We are abandoned to grieve the loss of our
beautiful child in the life-long knowledge that her death was treated as
of no more value than a cat.”
At the inquest into her death, held in February, West Sussex Coroner
Penelope Schofield called for an urgent assessment of the signage along
the road through a Rule 43 recommendation.
That gives the coroner the power to make a report where they believe action needs to be taken to prevent future deaths.
But despite the coroner highlighting the issue of signage in February, nothing has changed.
Marie was just a week away from her 20th birthday when she died.
Speaking shortly after her death, her family paid tribute to her as “a brilliant pupil”.
They said: “Her intellectual ability did not prevent her from dreaming and hoping for a better world.
“She was an idealist who wanted to change the world, by raising
awareness about and fighting against injustices such as conflicts,
poverty and wasting resources.”
A Highways Agency spokesman said its plans to improve the cycle path
network across Sussex had started two years ago and were ongoing.
He said: “The Highways Agency takes safety of all road users very
seriously and since 2007 we have been working with our stakeholders on
plans to improve cycle routes across Sussex, including
national cycle route 20.
“We have co-operated fully with the police during their investigation
and the ensuing coroners inquest following this tragic incident.”
From the BBC
Marie Vesco cycle death: Call for 'at fault' law change
Marie Vesco was killed on the A23 in Hickstead
The
mother of a teenager killed on a bicycle in Sussex has called for a
change in the law to make motorists automatically at fault in an
accident.
French student Marie Vesco, 19, died in a collision involving
two other cars on the A23 at Hickstead on 4 June 2008 as she cycled to
the coast with friends.
On Tuesday, Dominique Vesco said more needed to be done to protect cyclists.
The UK is one of five European countries that do not currently have the law, known as "strict liability".
'Flesh and bones'
On the fifth anniversary of her daughter's death, Ms Vesco
added: "Cyclists are like pedestrians, vulnerable to other road users,
and you must pay attention to them and do what you must do to protect
them.
"Like in Holland, like in Germany, like in France, we have to do more for them."
She added: "You don't have to prove that they are guilty
because when you have car you are responsible and you have a weapon in
your hands. A car is very heavy, a tonne of metal, and a cyclist is not
protected.
An assumption of automatic guilt may in fact backfire and lead to more hit-and-run incidents”
Edmund King
"A cyclist has only his flesh, his bones and nothing to protect him."
Under a strict liability law, motorists would be held
responsible in the civil courts for all accidents involving cyclists -
unless they can prove they were not to blame.
Supporters believe it would greatly reduce the time it takes for accident victims to win compensation.
But the president of the AA Edmund King said: "We are not
convinced that changing the law to assume that the driver is
automatically at fault will make our roads safer.
"Under the UK legal system drivers are often prosecuted as a
result of careless, dangerous driving if in collision with cyclists.
"An assumption of automatic guilt may in fact backfire and lead to more hit-and-run incidents.
"Education, engineering - cycle paths, improved junctions -
and enforcement of rules of the road will do far more to improve road
safety than changing the law to assume that one party is automatically
guilty."
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation,
said: "Imposing strict, or rather presumed, liability on drivers creates
the wrong starting point.
"Making a presumption of guilt before the facts are
established goes against principles of justice and risks creating a
two-tier system where some road users think they can act with impunity,
potentially increasing conflict on the road rather than reducing it."
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Age: 19
Location:
A23 Hinkstead
Brighton
United Kingdom
from the CTC forum:
The following is by the parents of Marie Vesco:
My
daughter Marie Vesco was killed exactly one year ago while cycling on
the A23. A driver intending to leave the road clipped her bicycle as she
passed causing Marie to fall. The following car, driving too close
behind, ran over her and she was killed. Neither driver was prosecuted.
At
the inquest the coroner recommended that proper sign posting, to direct
cyclists to a quieter road, should be installed as a matter of urgency.
The
Minister of Transport has replied that it may be done in the year
2009/10. Nobody has been held responsible for killing Marie. We are
abandoned to grieve the loss of our beautiful child; in the life long
knowledge that her death was treated as of no more value than a cat.
Friends
and Family have placed a white 'ghost' bicycle by the side of the A23
on the southbound carriageway just before the offslip to Burgess Hill
[A2300], at Hickstead Junction, where she was killed.
We ask ourselves who will be next. We are angry that nobody cares and nothing has been done to protect us.
from the Argus
Family of dead cyclist place "ghost bike" on A23
9:00am Monday 8th June 2009 in
By Samuel Underwood
The ghost bike placed at the side of the A23
The family of a French cyclist who died as she rode along the A23 have
expressed their anger that their daughter “died for nothing”.
Marie Vesco was involved in an accident as she and a group of friends
made their way to a Smash EDO protest in Brighton last June.
But a year after her death, Marie's boyfriend Seb Achaibou, her father
Jacques and her mother Dominique have seen their campaign for better
signage to improve the safety of cyclists come to
nothing.
In a statement they said: “One year has passed and Marie has died for
nothing, like an animal squashed on the road, with not a single sanction
for any of the responsible parties.
“Today we are very angry as we realise that in this affair, our daughter is the only victim.
“We are seeking justice for Marie – what about her human rights?
“We ask ourselves who will be next. We are angry that nobody cares and nothing has been done to protect us.”
They wanted clearer signage put up along the road to inform cyclists of cycle paths that were available for them to use.
Now, one year later, Marie’s family and friends have placed a white “ghost bike” to mark the spot where Marie was killed.
Speaking to The Argus, they criticised the authorities for not reacting more swiftly to prevent other accidents in the future.
Her parents said: “We are abandoned to grieve the loss of our
beautiful child in the life-long knowledge that her death was treated as
of no more value than a cat.”
At the inquest into her death, held in February, West Sussex Coroner
Penelope Schofield called for an urgent assessment of the signage along
the road through a Rule 43 recommendation.
That gives the coroner the power to make a report where they believe action needs to be taken to prevent future deaths.
But despite the coroner highlighting the issue of signage in February, nothing has changed.
Marie was just a week away from her 20th birthday when she died.
Speaking shortly after her death, her family paid tribute to her as “a brilliant pupil”.
They said: “Her intellectual ability did not prevent her from dreaming and hoping for a better world.
“She was an idealist who wanted to change the world, by raising
awareness about and fighting against injustices such as conflicts,
poverty and wasting resources.”
A Highways Agency spokesman said its plans to improve the cycle path
network across Sussex had started two years ago and were ongoing.
He said: “The Highways Agency takes safety of all road users very
seriously and since 2007 we have been working with our stakeholders on
plans to improve cycle routes across Sussex, including
national cycle route 20.
“We have co-operated fully with the police during their investigation
and the ensuing coroners inquest following this tragic incident.”
From the BBC
Marie Vesco cycle death: Call for 'at fault' law change
Marie Vesco was killed on the A23 in Hickstead
The
mother of a teenager killed on a bicycle in Sussex has called for a
change in the law to make motorists automatically at fault in an
accident.
French student Marie Vesco, 19, died in a collision involving
two other cars on the A23 at Hickstead on 4 June 2008 as she cycled to
the coast with friends.
On Tuesday, Dominique Vesco said more needed to be done to protect cyclists.
The UK is one of five European countries that do not currently have the law, known as "strict liability".
'Flesh and bones'
On the fifth anniversary of her daughter's death, Ms Vesco
added: "Cyclists are like pedestrians, vulnerable to other road users,
and you must pay attention to them and do what you must do to protect
them.
"Like in Holland, like in Germany, like in France, we have to do more for them."
She added: "You don't have to prove that they are guilty
because when you have car you are responsible and you have a weapon in
your hands. A car is very heavy, a tonne of metal, and a cyclist is not
protected.
An assumption of automatic guilt may in fact backfire and lead to more hit-and-run incidents”
Edmund King
"A cyclist has only his flesh, his bones and nothing to protect him."
Under a strict liability law, motorists would be held
responsible in the civil courts for all accidents involving cyclists -
unless they can prove they were not to blame.
Supporters believe it would greatly reduce the time it takes for accident victims to win compensation.
But the president of the AA Edmund King said: "We are not
convinced that changing the law to assume that the driver is
automatically at fault will make our roads safer.
"Under the UK legal system drivers are often prosecuted as a
result of careless, dangerous driving if in collision with cyclists.
"An assumption of automatic guilt may in fact backfire and lead to more hit-and-run incidents.
"Education, engineering - cycle paths, improved junctions -
and enforcement of rules of the road will do far more to improve road
safety than changing the law to assume that one party is automatically
guilty."
Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation,
said: "Imposing strict, or rather presumed, liability on drivers creates
the wrong starting point.
"Making a presumption of guilt before the facts are
established goes against principles of justice and risks creating a
two-tier system where some road users think they can act with impunity,
potentially increasing conflict on the road rather than reducing it."