Bus driver who crashed into Musselburgh cyclist in Edinburgh escapes ban

Ryan Dewar was driving a No 16 Lothian Bus when he slammed into cyclist Thomas Schofield as he turned on Comiston Road, last August.

Dewar, 47, had been stopped at traffic lights when he was flashed to turn right by a bus travelling northbound into the city.

As the bus pulled away, Mr Schofield appeared at speed from the near side and he was knocked from his bike.

Mr Schofield suffered a collapsed lung and a fractured collarbone as well as multiple cuts and bruises to his head and face.

Following the impact, Dewar, from Musselburgh, leapt from his bus cabin to attend to the victim and called the emergency services to attend.

The bus driver appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, and admitted a charge of careless driving by failing to drive his vehicle with due care and attention.

Prosecutor Mark Keane said Dewar was driving his double decker bus on Comiston Road at around 6.10pm on August 25 last year.

Mr Keane said the bus had stopped at traffic lights with then intention of turning right into Greenbank Crescent.

As the lights turned to green, Dewar was flashed to turn by a bus travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr Keane said: “As the lights turned to green the accused [and the other bus driver] moved their buses forward. Neither the accused or the other driver saw Thomas Schofield on his bicycle on the near side of the other bus.

“The accused turned his bus and as he turned right Mr Schofield arrived from the near side of the bus.

“Mr Schofield reacted by braking sharply and tried to avoid the bus.”

The fiscal added the cyclist then “struck the front of the bus” before he “hit the ground” following the crash.

Police and an ambulance attended at the scene and Dewar gave officers a negative roadside breath test.

CCTV of the incident was shown to the court following the bus driver’s guilty plea.

Sheriff John Cook acknowledged the cyclist’s part in the incident and decided to admonish Dewar on the charge and place five penalty points on the bus driver’s licence.

Dewar admitted driving his bus without due care and attention and fail to keep a proper lookout for other road users and turn into the path of an oncoming cyclist.