Van driver who killed Team GB triathlete when he smashed into her from behind during cycling race is jailed

A VAN driver who killed a Team GB athlete when he smashed into her from behind during a cycling race has been jailed.

Rebecca Comins, 52, was riding on a clear sunny day with a flashing light attached to her bike when the tragedy unfolded.

The mum-of-two was sent flying through the air after Vasile Barbu struck her from behind on a dual carriageway.

Tragically her son George, who was also taking part in the June 2022 event, learned she had died on his way to the hospital.

Barbu has now been jailed for four years after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving.

Sentencing, Judge Shoman Khan told him: “You could very easily have moved to the outside lane to overtake her as other drivers had.

“You could, and should, have given her far more space. You could, and should, have given yourself far more time.”

In a heartbreaking victim impact statement, Rebecca’s daughter Amelia recalled the devastating moment she discovered her mum was dead while studying at university in Cambridge.

She said: “I had a call from dad. I tried to stay calm, I thought the worst case scenario would be mum was badly injured and I could get the next train to see her.

“Instead he picked up the phone and all he could get out was ‘Mils, Mils, mum has been killed’.

“At that point my world fell apart, I have never felt pain like it. I felt like I had been struck by lightning.

“I remember screaming ‘It can’t be true, it can’t be true, there’s no way this is happening’.”

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Rebecca had been taking part in a time trial cycling race organised by local club Monmouthshire Wheelers at the time of the tragedy.

Cyclists had been setting off at one minute intervals along the dual carriageway, which had signs in place warning drivers about the race.

Barbu, 49, failed to manoeuvre around Rebecca just moments after he “buzzed” another biker while passing.

Following his arrest, the driver was unable to explain how the collision took place and told police he gave the athlete a two-metre gap.

The court heard he accepted he must have collided with Rebecca and admitted causing death by careless driving.

But prosecutor James Wilson said his “devastating and catastrophic failure” to move out of the way amounted to death by dangerous driving.

He added: “Rebecca Comins was there to be seen. Visibility was good, she was cycling with a bright rear light so was clearly obvious to other witnesses.

“This was not a momentary misjudgement or lack of concentration. From the road and the weather conditions and how conspicuous she would have been, the defendant’s failure to avoid colliding into the back of Mrs Comins was a gross, catastrophic failure which amounted to dangerous driving.

“His dangerous driving caused the death of Mrs Comins.”

Rebecca, known as Becky, had represented Great Britain in both European and world championships.

She came ninth in the 2018 Tartu ETU Triathlon European Championships, and 30th in the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final Lausanne.

At the time of her death, she was the Vintage Veteran Champion of the Welsh Triathlon Super Series.

Rebecca had also represented Wales the weekend before the crash.