Derbyshire father pays tribute to daughter who died in accident

25-year-old Josephine Gilbert was riding her bike along the A52 just off Markeaton Island when she was hit by a HGV driven by an unlicensed driver.

Her father Bobby Gilbert has been speaking out about the death of his daughter in a video released by Derbyshire Constabulary as part of a national week of action around commercial and heavy goods vehicles. The Constabulary stated on their website, they said:

'As well as highlighting good practice by van and lorry drivers, our officers have also been carrying out check sites to crack down on unsafe vehicles or loads.'

'It’s all part of efforts to make sure larger vehicles, and the people behind the wheel of them, are fit for the road and don’t pose a risk to other road users – as has tragically been the case in Derbyshire.'

Preventing similar incidents

One of Bobby's hopes for speaking out is that he will encourage drivers to be more careful around cyclists and to show more patience for them on the roads. He noted in the 10-minute video:

'If you're in the bigger vehicle you are responsible. Cyclists; they're not perfect people. They do stuff wrong. Everyone can tell a story about how a cyclist jumped a red light and it can be frustrating and irritating but they are really vulnerable. And you're not, because you're in a metal box.'

'As life moves on I think it is becoming more apparent that she is frozen in time and I think that side will actually get harder, but I'll get better at managing it and moving on.'

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• derbyshire
• derbyshire constabulary
• Cyclists
• Road Safety