Due to insufficient right-hand driving with his mix feed wagon, a 45-year-old man from Wapserveen hit a cyclist in May last year. The cyclist was seriously injured. The man from Wapserveen has been sentenced to 60 hours of community service.
The accident happened on De Weidenweg in Ruinen. The driver of the mixed feed truck knew the road, he drove there almost every day. He knew that there was also an annoying, confusing bend in the road. The man drove across the road at a snail’s pace.
His view from his cabin was not optimal. He did not see the cyclist, he previously told the judge. In his opinion he could not keep further to the right to stay on the road. The cyclist hit his head against the cabin. His bicycle helmet broke as a result. The cyclist suffered serious brain damage. To this day he has not fully recovered.
The police investigation shows that the man on the right still had almost 2 meters left. He could have gone even further to the right. The judge finds that the man drove quite carelessly. As a professional driver, he should have adapted his driving style more. Then he would probably have seen the cyclist earlier on the straight.
In addition to community service, the man was also given a conditional driving ban of six months. The sentence corresponds to the demand of the Public Prosecution Service.