Cycle death accused describes accident

The man accused of causing the death of a cyclist on Auckland's Tamaki Drive told police he heard a skid before the cyclist collided with him and went under a truck.

Jane Bishop, a 27-year-old British nurse, was cycling home from work between slow-moving traffic and parked cars when her bicycle went under a tip truck. She died at the scene.

The police say Glenn Hilton Becker was parked on Tamaki Drive on the evening of November 17, 2010, when he opened his car door and stepped out on to the road moments before the accident, causing Ms Bishop to go under the truck.

Becker was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle causing death. He pleaded not guilty and is on trial at Auckland District Court.

A police statement given by Becker on the day of the crash has been read to court this morning.

Becker told police he had gone to Tamaki Drive to do some fishing. He got out of his car and saw a cyclist.

"She hit my right arm and thigh. I think she may have got her foot on the ground and tumbled over. I'm not quite sure what happened next but she became stuck under the truck's rear wheels.

"I asked if she was ok and she replied no.''

Yesterday the truck driver told the court that the first time he knew something was wrong was when someone shouted at him.

Foketi Puleiku was driving at about walking speed in heavy traffic when he heard a woman yelling at him to stop.

"I didn't see any cyclist at all, even though I was going very slowly, I didn't see her.''

Under cross-examination by Becker's lawyer Kevin Brosnahan, Mr Puleiku said he never expected anyone to overtake him on his lefthand side.

His son, Junior Puleiku, was in the passenger seat. He told Mr Brosnahan that he saw Becker check for traffic as they rounded the corner near Kelly Tarlton's.

Ms Bishop's friend, flatmate and colleague Sara Payne told the court she was running home along Tamaki Drive and knew something was wrong when fire engines rushed past her.

Ms Payne said she knew Ms Bishop had left work before her, and her worst fears were confirmed when she stopped and talked to three men, one of whom described the distinctive front basket on Ms Bishop's bike.

She said her friend would normally ride in the bike lane on the footpath.

Other witnesses described seeing maybe one other cyclist on the road but many others on the footpath.

Gerald Hutchinson, who was on holiday from Melbourne, was a passenger in his brother-in-law's car.

They were on their way to the beach and were about three cars behind Mr Puleiku's truck.

Giving evidence by video-link from Melbourne yesterday, Mr Hutchinson said Ms Bishop passed only inches from his car door.

"I realised the cyclist was going roughly 20km an hour. She was too close to the curb and the car doors ... I was telling my mates that perhaps she is going to get hit by a car door. I said there would be an accident and there was.''

He said he could see a car, parked about three cars ahead, with its door open when the accident happened.

"I was traumatised. I came there for a holiday because my mum had passed away from cancer.''

The trial is due to finish tomorrow.