A JURY has heard detailed evidence from an accident investigator who examined the scene of a collision in which a father-of-three suffered fatal injuries.

Otley cyclist Craig Armitage, 44, died in February last year after a collision between his bike and a Hyundai estate car on the B6160 near Bolton Abbey.

The driver of the Hyundai 63-year-old Nicholas Goddard, of Pen-y-Ghent Way, Barnoldswick, has denied causing Mr Armitage's death by careless driving that Sunday morning, but the prosecution has alleged that he was "straddling" the centre line of the road at the time of the head-on collision.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday heard evidence from North Yorkshire police officer Stuart Langford who investigated the scene after the crash.

During questioning which lasted a whole day Mr Langford conceded that there was no definitive mark on the road which enabled him to say where precisely the impact occurred, but his view was that the vehicle was over the white line.

"It shows that the vehicle was over the white line," said Mr Langford.

"To what extent I can't say, but at least straddling."

During his evidence Mr Langford was challenged by Goddard's barrister Ian Bridge about his interpretation of the marks at the scene.

Mr Bridge suggested that some of the marks could have been caused by other cyclists who had a come off their bikes as a result of the collision.

The jury are expected to hear further evidence from an accident investigator instructed by the defence tomorrow (Wed).

At the time of the collision Mr Armitage, an experienced rider, had been taking part in an organised event.

The crash happened on an uphill section of road near to a sharp right hand bend and prosecutor Simon Waley alleged earlier this week that Goddard had overtaken another cyclist too late.

He alleged that Goddard was too close the right hand bend at the top of the hill and as a consequence he didn't have enough time to return fully to his own side of the road before being confronted by Mr Armitage who was approaching from the opposite direction.

"Mr Armitage may have been close to the centre of the road, but he would have been in a position to cycle safely past this defendant had this defendant been fully within his own lane," alleged Mr Waley.

During a police interview Goddard said he had pulled back in safely after completing the overtaking manoeuvre and claimed that Mr Armitage had been on his side of the road.

The trial continues.