Police have issued a further appeal 14 years after the death of a Harrogate man in a tragic cycle accident.
Stefan Forge, aged 47, was cycling with a friend along the A658 towards Buttersyke Bar near Harrogate when they were hit by a vehicle.
North Yorkshire, UK
North Yorkshire, UK
North Yorkshire, UK
At around 11.15pm, on 22 August 2001, Stefan Forge and Jon Wastling were out cycling, on a return route to Harrogate, when they were hit by an unknown vehicle. The driver failed to stop at the scene and emergency services were only alerted 2-hours later, after a passing motorist noticed the cycles.
Tragically Stefan died at the roadside.
Jon was thrown 20-feet into a ditch and was lucky to survive. He spent many weeks in hospital with blunt trauma injuries before returning to normal life. He remains an enthusiastic cyclist to this day.
Stefan was a popular Harrogate man that worked at Harrogate Hospital.
Police investigating the collision are now carrying out a review of the case and to coincide with the fourteenth anniversary of the collision, are appealing to anyone who has any information but has not contacted the police.
At the time of the incident, police followed many lines of enquiry including visiting many farms in the area to look at farm vehicles. Fairground vehicles on the Stray were also checked as they may had been travelling that route at that time.
Sergeant Ian Pope of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, who is carrying out the review, said:
14 years have passed since Stefan died and I am hoping that with the passage of time, someone is now in a position to come forward with information that can help our investigation.
Stefan’s family have had to carry on with their lives, not knowing the full circumstances of his death or who was responsible. We are still working on behalf of them, and hope that someone with that vital piece of information that will lead us to the identity of the vehicle and its driver, is out there.
It may be that back in 2001, they felt they could not come forward with that information, but perhaps circumstances have changed and they are now in a position to share that information.
For the sake of Stefan and his family, I urge you to please get in touch and tell us what you know.
Anyone with any information is asked to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for Ian Pope, or email ian.pope@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
