Police release name of third cyclist killed on Yorkshire's roads during lockdown

Adrian Hornby is the third cyclist to die on Yorkshire's roads during the lockdown period, and at least two more have been seriously injured in collisions with vehicles.

Adrian suffered serious head injuries when he was struck by a VW Golf while cycling on Harewood Avenue in East Keswick on May 27.

Both he and the driver were travelling towards Wetherby when they collided at 8.20am.

The 57-year-old from Leeds died in hospital on Sunday June 7.

Adrian was married and had twin sons.

His family said in a statement: “Adrian had a formidable mind, and was kind and compassionate. He worked for an American software company across the world and was a keen bridge player, underwater hockey enthusiast and chairman of the Harrogate Model Flying Club.

“He was loved and cherished by his wife and twin sons, and was in his element when with his family. He has been stolen from us far too early and we are heartbroken and cannot imagine life without him; the gap will be unfathomable.”

The driver of the Golf has been spoken to by police.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 293.

Adrian's death comes after young father Andrew Jackson, 36, from Wetherby, was killed when he was struck by a Porsche while cycling between Allerton and Boroughbridge on May 10. The driver was arrested.

Rotherham cyclist John Bennett, 48, also spoke out after he was struck by a 4x4 which he believed deliberately rammed him and a fellow member of Barnsley Road Club while they cycled along a quiet lane near Naburn Marina on the outskirts of York. Police are investigating. John now faces three months in a spinal brace.

On May 12, a female cyclist was left seriously injured after being struck by a cattle trailer being towed by a 4x4 as she rode between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. The driver did not stop, nor did another 4x4 towing a similar trailer which was following behind the first vehicle.

A cyclist in his 60s also died on April 22 after he struck a parapet at Dibbles Bridge, a notorious accident black spot in the Yorkshire Dales, while riding between Pateley Bridge and Grassington. No vehicles were thought to have been involved and he has not been identified.

North Yorkshire Police have revealed that the proportion of accidents involving cyclists has risen during the lockdown - despite the roads being the quietest they've been since 1955.

The force recorded a 70 per cent increase in cyclists, many of whom were young families or novices taking to the roads for the first time.

Yet the proportion of accidents involving cyclists rose from 20 per cent to 27 per cent compared to the same period on 2019.

The force has been promoting an education campaign to inform drivers about the importance of leaving a gap of at least 1.5 metres when passing a cyclist.

Officers are also reminding drivers that new cyclists may lack experience in using roads. Novices are recommended to take an adult cycle training course, which many local councils offer, as do Bikeability.