Driver who caused death of Olympian sentenced

A van driver who caused the death of a British Olympian on a North Yorkshire road has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Bradley McStravick, who competed as a decathlete alongside teammate Daley Thompson in the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics, was knocked off his bike on the B6165 in Burnt Yates on 20 August 2024.

York Magistrates' Court heard the 68-year-old had been given the all-clear from cancer earlier the same day, with the cyclist airlifted to hospital where he later died.

William Langley, 38, of Pateley Bridge, admitted causing death by careless driving and was sentenced to a 26-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

He was given a two-year driving ban, fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs, along with a £154 statutory surcharge.

Prosecutor Kathryn Walters said the fatal crash happened at about 18:30 BST when the former athlete was cycling up a hill from the Pye Lane junction towards Burnt Yates.

A blue Ford Transit van driven by Langley approached him, the court heard, with the van colliding with the back of the bicycle.

At a previous court hearing, the prosecution said Langley had a 16-second gap to notice the bicycle but failed to do so.

Langley claimed that he could not see him because the low sun was shining in his eyes.

In a victim impact statement read out by the prosecution, Alison Layton, Bradley's partner, said: "Brad was far more than the victim of a road traffic collision.

"He was a deeply-loved partner, brother, uncle, great uncle, and a loved friend to those who knew him."

She added: "Despite his achievements as an international athlete and later coaching and influencing young athletes to success, he remained humble and modest."

Bradley set the Scottish record in the decathlon on five occasions between 1977 and 1982 and won two golds at the AAA Championships in 1979 and 1980.

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics he finished 15th in the decathlon. Four years later, he competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and finished 11th.

He also competed in the decathlon for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and 1986.

His partner's statement said he was diagnosed with cancer after the Covid pandemic, with Bradley recieving the news that he was free of the disease earlier the same day as the crash.

The following day he had been due to attend his niece's wedding, the court heard, an event which was then postponed.

"What should have been a cherished family celebration became another painful reminder of all that had been lost," she said.

Martin Townend, representing Langley, said there was no suggestion that his client was driving over the speed limit.

"He said the sun was in his eyes and he just did not see the cyclist," he said.

Langley stopped his van after the collision to go to assist Bradley and called emergency services, the court heard.

He said that Langley was "full of remorse", with his mental health deteriorating since the crash.

Deputy district judge Nicholas Hayles said the fact that the sun was shining in Langley's eyes should have caused him to drive with "the utmost care, even if you grounded to a halt because you need to see where you are going".

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