Desborough Family Issue Plea To Elderly Drivers

The family of a Desborough man who died when his tricycle was hit by a driver in her 90s have made a plea to elderly drivers to get their eyes tested.

Mick Harvey, who was 85, was killed last May, when he was struck from behind on Stoke Albany Road.

Police decided not to pursue a criminal case against the motorist, a decision his family supported, although she has had her driving licence revoked due to eyesight issues.

In a statement, Mr Harvey’s son and daughter, Richard Harvey and Jane Slocombe, said they wanted something positive to come out of the tragedy and urged anyone with elderly relatives to speak to family members or friends.

It reads: “We appreciate it may be a difficult subject to broach but it could literally save lives.

“It has been so hard for us to lose our dad in these circumstances and if we can prevent other people from going through what we have had to, that would mean a lot.”

Mr Harvey, who had lived in Desborough his whole life, was described by his family as “a much-loved man”.

Mick Harvey

Mr Harvey, a keen cyclist, had been wearing a yellow high-visibility jacket and helmet at the time of the collision.

Det Con Bruce Wilson, from Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said Mr Harvey’s family were “the epitome of class”.

He said he admired them “for wanting something positive to come out of such terrible circumstances” and echoed their plea for elderly drivers to have regular sight tests.

“By doing so you may just prevent another family from having to deal with the heartache Mick’s have endured,” he added.

More than 200 people lined the streets of Desborough on the day of Mr Harvey’s funeral in June 2020.