Motorist, 82, banned from driving following collision with cyclist at Lothian roundabout

A pensioner who left a cyclist with a broken leg after colliding with him in her car has been banned from the road.

Helen Pearce outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court with lawyer Richard Freeman. Picture: Alexander Lawrie

Helen Pearce, 82, struck cyclist Hassan Peymani as she attempted to negotiate a roundabout near Aberlady in East Lothian.

Pearce failed to spot Mr Peymani as she entered the roundabout and clipped his back wheel sending him to the ground.

He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he was treated for a broken left tibia.

Pearce pleaded guilty to an amended charge of careless driving when she appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Ross Price told the court Pearce was approaching the Ballencrieff roundabout at around 9.30am on March 12, 2019.

Mr Price said Pearce’s vehicle had “clipped the rear wheel” of the bike sending the 39-year-old cyclist crashing to the ground.

The court was told police and an ambulance were called and that when quizzed Pearce told officers “I didn't see him”.

Defending solicitor Richard Freeman said his client had stopped immediately following the collision and had “physically run over” to help the man.

Mr Freeman added: “She assisted him to walk over to her car while further help could arrive.”

He said the OAP had passed her driving test 25 years ago and had an “unblemished driving record” ever since.

The lawyer said Pearce, who has recently moved from East Linton to Edinburgh, was “very fit and very able” and continues to play golf on a regular basis.

He told the court Pearce had decided to sell her car and had surrendered her driving licence to the DVLA following the incident.

Sheriff Thomas Welsh QC said: “This is a serious matter as to what happened [to the cyclist].

“Looking at all the factors and taking account of the quality of the driving I will impose a disqualification.”

Pearce was banned from driving for 12 months and fined a total of £500.

Pearce pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle without due care and attention and fail to keep a lookout when entering a roundabout, fail to give way to traffic from the right and cause the vehicle to collide with a cycle ridden by Hassan Peymani at Ballencrieff roundabout, Aberlady, East Lothian, on March 12, 2019.

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