A WHITCHURCH man who ran over a cyclist has been cleared of driving without due care and attention.

Mark Tyler, 42, of Park View, was acquitted of the charge following a hearing at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Tyler, who is co-director of a removal contractor company, was working in Cambridge at the time when he drove over cyclist Daniel Davis.

The court heard how the incident happened just over a year ago, at 6pm on November 27, when Mr Davis fell off his push bike and was subsequently run over by Mr Tyler, who was using a hands-free device at the time.

Mr Tyler explained that he had not seen the cyclist. He said: “As I turned into Trumpington Road, I felt something but it felt no worse than some of the potholes which are around.

“I stopped immediately and got out of the car to understand what had occurred, and (realised) my car had gone over the cyclist.”

The court heard that the incident had left Mr Tyler “shocked and devastated”.

In acquitting Mr Tyler, lead magistrate Phil King acknowledged Mr Tyler’s “unblemished” driving record, adding: “It is accepted you [Mr Tyler] were the driver of the vehicle that collided with a cyclist, and there is no dispute about the time or place.

“What is not accepted is whether or not you were distracted by the use of a hands-free phone, or whether your driving fell below the test of a competent driver. We find that whilst phone conversations can cause distractions there is no direct evidence that this was the case in this incident.”