A trial is underway over the death of a sports photographer who was killed by a runaway bike while covering a motorcycle racing competition.
Photographer Simon Mitchell was killed when a riderless motocross bike flew off the track and hit him during a British Motocross Championship event in Swindon, U.K., in May 2023.
A rider took a jump and lost control of his bike, which broke through a hay bale barrier, striking and killing the photographer. Another man, a marshal in his 60s, was also badly hurt in the same accident.
Mitchell and the marshal were behind a specific marshal point and not among any of the event’s roughly 10,000 spectators. The racer who fell off his bike was reportedly unhurt, and the event was immediately stopped after the incident.
Mitchell, who was in his 50s, was described as a “passionate photographer” who was a popular part of the national off-road motorcycle racing competition.
A trial has now started into the death of Mitchell two years after the incident, according to a report by local news outlet Swindon Advertiser. The Langrish Motorcycle Club, which was running the event, is accused of not following proper health and safety rules to protect people at the track. Prosecutors say the club, as the organizer in charge of the site, should have made sure the venue was as safe as reasonably possible.
The charge says the motorcycle club was responsible for the motocross track and failed to take proper steps to make sure the site, the areas people could use to get around it, and any equipment there were safe and did not put people at risk.
The Langrish Motorcycle Club has denied the charge, and its solicitor entered a not guilty plea. The case will now move to Swindon Crown Court in late October. Mitchell, remembered as a dedicated motocross photographer and supporter, was described by colleagues as kind and generous. A fundraising campaign after his death helped cover his funeral costs and supported local charities.