Van driver who caused death of cyclist sentenced

A van driver who caused the death of a cyclist by careless driving on a road in North Yorkshire has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Robert Wade crashed into Graham Nash, 54, on the A65 Settle bypass in August 2024 causing "catastrophic injuries" and the victim died at the scene after suffering a cardiac arrest, a court heard.

The defendant said later he had "no idea how he hadn't seen him", but stopped after hitting the victim and attempted to perform CPR.

Wade, 25, of Silkstone, Barnsley, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Bradford Crown Court on Monday.

He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and banned from driving for three years.

The court heard how Nash, from Giggleswick, had been riding on the single carriageway section of the road at about 04:50 BST on 6 August and was wearing a helmet with a light attached and his bike also had a rear light illuminated.

Judge Ahmed Nadim said Wade would have had eight or nine seconds to see the cyclist before hitting him and added: "You failed to observe him despite having ample opportunity to do so."

There was no alcohol, drugs, mobile phone use or racing involved in the incident.

In a victim impact statement, Linda Nash, who had been married for 30 years, said her husband was "one of a kind" and a "truly special man who made life better simply by being in it".

"The sentence imposed by the court will one day end. Ours never will," she added.

His sister Louise said in her statement: "We will continue to miss him every day for the rest of our lives."

Judge Nadim said Nash had been a devoted husband and a loving father and grandfather.

He told Wade: "His death has deprived many people of someone who was central to their lives."

The court heard Wade had no previous convictions but had received penalty points on his licence for using a mobile phone while driving in February 2024.

He pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in July at Skipton Magistrates' Court and his barrister, Rhianydd Clement, said Wade had shown extreme remorse and understanding of the devastating impact on Nash's family.

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