A DRIVER told today how he did not see a cyclist ahead of him until seconds or less before their fatal collision.
Leroy James was driving up Mitcham Road in the early hours of July 10 2012 when his car hit dad-of one Neil Turner from behind. Mr Turner, 31, was on his way to work as a train driver.
Mr James did not see the cyclist, until "I bore down on him," he told the dad-of-one's inquest today at Croydon Coroner's Court, where the coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
A witness told the court he thought Mr Turner had cycled off the pavement and into the road just before the crash, although collision investigators said they thought that had not happened.
Investigators added they did not believe speeding was a factor in the crash but one said driver fatigue might have been.
Chef Mr James described how he had been returning from Gatwick Airport after a holiday in Turkey when he collided with Mr Turner near Dennett Road shortly after 5am.
He said: "I am very , very familiar with the route because it is a route I take often to see my mum and dad and so I am very aware of the of the kind of speed cameras and things like that that are down there.
"There was nothing extraordinary other than the fact that I was looking forward to getting home and I had a great holiday and I was thinking about the things I was going to do later that day and driving down Mitcham Road, nothing eventful until the tragic collision with Mr Turner.
"Literally just driving down the road and as I said from my statement he just appeared from the left and unfortunately, tragically, I collided with him."
Responding that he had replayed the situation in his mind "every day," he added: "I did not see him until literally I bore down on and my only [solution] at the time was that he came from the pavement."
Accident investigators said various evidence at the scene suggested Mr Turner had not ridden off the pavement onto the road, but the full circumstances of the crash may remain a mystery.
Senior collision investigator DS Jeff Edwards, from the South West collision investigation unit, said: "I think we will never know the full set of circumstances.
"I do believe driver fatigue possibly, and I use the word possibly, might have played a part in this collision.
"All I can say is that Neil was there to be seen. Yes he was wearing dark clothing; however, it was cycling clothing and did have reflective strips.
"He was not wearing a helmet and his bike had infrared rear lights.
"It was a straight piece of road and it is my assertion that Neil was there to be seen. But again I want to reiterate we do not know the actual full set of circumstances that led to this collision."
Several members of Neil's family, from Sevenoaks in Kent, were in court including his parents, brother Wayne and fiancée Paula Smith.
His son, Archie Smith, was just five months old when his father died, Ms Smith said, adding that her fiancé was "amazing."
Mr Turner's mother, Beryl Turner, who is now suffering from terminal cancer, described her son as a "lovely boy" who was deeply missed.
She added: "He was full of life, happy and made everybody laugh. I say that not because he was our son – that is the fellow that he was.
"He had 400 people at his funeral. Morden underground workers would not go to work that day – they all took the day off.
She had last spoken to her son a few days before the accident, she said, adding: "He said, 'How are you mum?' He always phoned me, said, 'Love you.'"
