Dad pays emotional tribute to daughter killed in Derbyshire crash

A father whose daughter was killed in a collision while she was cycling has paid an emotional tribute to her.
Bobby Gilbert has paid tribute to his daughter Josephine Gilbert, who died in a collision in Derbyshire last year.Bobby Gilbert has paid tribute to his daughter Josephine Gilbert, who died in a collision in Derbyshire last year.
Bobby Gilbert has paid tribute to his daughter Josephine Gilbert, who died in a collision in Derbyshire last year.

Josephine Gilbert, originally from Wirksworth, had been riding along the A52 in Derby last year when she was struck by a HGV being driven by an unlicenced driver.

Josephine, who was just 25, died at the scene.

The harrowing incident understandably devastated her family.

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Now, Josephine’s dad, Bobby Gilbert, has spoken on camera about how the ripples of that day are still being felt by him and the family.

In the above video released by Derbyshire Constabulary, Bobby told of his pain at ‘never seeing her fall in love, start a family, or grow old’.

He said: “Next year Josephine’s sister will be older than her, her two year younger sister will be older than her.

“As life moves on I think it will become, it already is, more apparent that she is frozen in time...

“I don't think it will ever be something I move on from.”

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Herbert Wyatt, the man driving the lorry when Josephine was struck, had had his licence revoked on medical grounds just weeks before the collision. He is currently serving a 45-month prison term after being sentenced last December.

In the video, Bobby also talks about the lessons he hopes other motorists will learn from his daughter’s death – and how drivers of larger vehicles can protect our more vulnerable road users.

He said: "If you are in the bigger vehicle, you are responsible. Cyclists, they are not perfect people, they do stuff wrong.

“Everyone can tell a story about a cyclist who jumped a red light or are they allowed to ride two abreast?

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“Well they are. But it can be irritating at times and people seem to get irritated by people in lycra for some reason.

“I just say ‘look, yes, it can be irritating. It can be frustrating. But they are really vulnerable and you're not. Because you are in a metal box’.”

Over the last three years in Derbyshire, heavy goods and light goods vehicles have been involved in 730 collisions – resulting in 944 people getting injured and, sadly, 25 of which were fatal.