A man has received a suspended jail sentence for causing the death of a former Olympic athlete by careless driving.

William Langley, 38, was driving a Transit van on the B6165 in Burnt Yates when he struck 68-year-old cyclist Brad McStravick, a two-time British decathlon champion who twice represented his country at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, York Magistrates’ Court heard.

Mr McStravick, who finished 11th behind Daley Thompson at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was knocked off his bike into a ditch. 

He was airlifted to hospital but later died of his injuries. The fatal accident occurred on the same day he received the news that he had won his battle with cancer.

Langley, from Pateley Bridge, admitted causing death by careless driving and appeared for sentence at York Magistrates’ Court today (September 11).

Prosecutor Kathryn Walters said the fatal crash occurred at about 6.30pm on August 20, 2024, when Mr McStravick was cycling westbound up a hill from the Pye Lane junction towards Burnt Yates, just 10 minutes from home.

He was overtaken by a taxi and shortly afterwards a blue Transit van driven by Langley approached him, the court heard.

The van collided with the back of the bicycle and Mr McStravick ended up in a ditch. Emergency services were called at about 6.30pm and Mr McStravick was airlifted to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The prosecution said at a previous hearing that Langley had a 16-second gap to notice the cyclist but failed to do so.

Langley claimed that he couldn’t see Mr McStravick because a low sun was shining in his eyes.

'A deeply loved partner'

In a victim-impact statement read out by the prosecution, Mr McStravick’s partner Alison Layton described the “devastating impact of his tragic and avoidable death”.

Ms Layton said:

She said that her partner, whom she met at university, had a “joyful” countenance and despite his great success as an athlete, was extremely humble.

She spoke of his “warmth” and said that Mr McStravick was “one of life’s genuinely good people” and that she “cherished the 45 years of him being in my life”.

“Despite his achievements as an international athlete and later coaching and influencing young athletes to success, he remained humble and modest,” she added.

Cancer diagnosis 

She said he had a “wonderful sense of humour” and had a passion for history, geology and travel.

“Brad was diagnosed with cancer out of the blue following the covid pandemic,” added Ms Layton.

She said this came as a huge shock because he had been “so fit” all his life.

“However, he faced this challenge with determination and resilience and endured chemotherapy without complaint,” she added.

She said that on the morning of the collision he received the news that he was free of cancer which he had battled for years. After being told the cancer had gone, Mr McStravick planned to travel more widely, but these plans were tragically cut short.

Ms Layton said it was “extremely hard” to come to terms with the fact that her partner did not return from a “routine bike ride” and that the collision occurred on a road he knew so well, just 10 minutes from home.

“It remains extremely difficult to (understand) what happened,” she added.

“The fact that he had overcome cancer makes the loss extremely heartbreaking.”

She said that Mr McStravick was an “experienced and careful cyclist who had cycled “throughout the world”.

“Brad’s death changed the course of so many lives in an instant,” she added.

“After months of (cancer) treatment and recovery, it was to be an opportunity for Brad to be reunited with friends and family.”

Wedding cancelled

She said that Mr McStravick was due to attend the wedding of one of his nieces the day after the collision occurred, but tragically it was not to be, so the wedding day had to be cancelled because of his absence.

Ms Layton added:

Langley’s solicitor Martin Townend said there was no suggestion that his client, a father-of-three, was driving over the speed limit.

“He said the sun was in his eyes and he just did not see the cyclist,” added Mr Townend.

“I think that’s accepted by the Crown and that’s why Mr Langley did not see him, with tragic results.”

Mr Townend said that Langley had stopped his van after the collision to go to assist Mr McStravick and called the emergency services.

'Full of remorse'

He said that Langley, who worked as a mechanic, was “full of remorse” and had a hitherto clean record.

He said that Langley’s mental health had deteriorated since the crash which had led to him and his ex-partner separating and him moving out of the family home.

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”.

He told Langley: “Clearly, Mr McStravick was there on a bicycle and although it may have been difficult to see him, you had a responsibility to make sure you could see where you were going.”

The judge noted character references which spoke highly of Langley, adding: “Clearly, you are generally a decent, law-abiding individual who fulfils his professional obligations to his family.”

Langley received a 26-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months and was given a two-year driving ban.

He was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 costs, along with a £154 statutory surcharge.

Mr McStravick set the Scottish record in the decathlon on five occasions between 1977 and1982 and won two golds at the AAA Championships — the “de facto” British national championships — in 1979 and 1980.

At the 1980 Moscow Olympics he finished 15th in the decathlon. Four years later, he returned to the Olympics for the 1984 LA Games where he improved on his previous performance to finish 11th.

He also competed in the decathlon for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and 1986, finishing fourth at the latter.