Emma Way, the trainee accountant who knocked a Norwich sportive rider off his bike and then boasted about it on Twitter, has apologised. “It was a spur of the moment, stupid tweet,” the 21-year-old told ITV. “I didn’t realise it would ever escalate to this.”
On Sunday, after knocking Toby Hockley into a hedge during the Boudicca Sportive, Way tweeted: “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier – I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists”
Asked what she would say to Hockley if he were in front of her, she said: “If I did cause any damage to him I would obviously apologise but I didn’t feel him even touch my car … If I knew that he was hurt I would never have driven off. If I could take back doing that tweet I would, you know my whole career is at risk now, and any damage caused to the cyclist.”
The firm where she works have suspended her, she said, the contract “now possibly over”.
Hockley, although he laughed off the incident with friends in the immediate aftermath, said he was lucky to be alive after Way’s tweet attracted national attention. Norfolk Police are still investigating the incident.