Cyclist 'thrown in the air like a rag doll' in fatal crash

A KEEN cyclist was killed in a crash that was witnessed by his wife, who was cycling behind him as they returned from a friend’s house.

- PHILIP DEWEY

Emma Rogers described it as like a “bomb going off” when her husband Clive was hit by a 74-year-old driver and thrown up into the air like a “rag doll”.

Mrs Rogers cradled her husband's head as he was treated at the roadside.

The 51-year-old died after being struck by a Mini Cooper driven by Pauline Parnell, now 76, on Boxing Day, 2023, on the A48 at Marshfield between Newport and Cardiff.

The victim and his wife Emma had attended a friend’s house and were riding their bikes home, with Mr Rogers wearing an elf costume and a Santa hat.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday heard Mr Rogers was a “keen and experienced cyclist” who had recently taken part in a charity bike ride, and his bike was still decorated with tinsel.

At around 5.20pm, Mrs Rogers described her husband riding around 10 metres ahead of her as they cycled back to their home in St Mellons.

She could see him clearly, and he was wearing LED lights which made him visible to passing traffic.

Mrs Rogers could hear the defendant’s car approaching from behind her and passing her at close hand.

She then saw the Mini heading directly towards her husband and screamed out his name, but the vehicle had blocked her view of him.

Reading out her victim personal statement to the court, Mrs Rogers said: “The night of the collision will stay with me forever. It was like a bomb going off and Clive was thrown into the air like a rag doll and his bike exploded into pieces.

“1 could hear someone screaming and realised it was me. The car just drove straight through him and didn’t stop”

Parnell continued to drive after the collision, eventually stopping around 400m further down the road.