E-scooter rider died after being hit by car at 70mph in dark

An electric scooter rider who died at the scene of a late-night crash had been travelling in the middle of lane one of a dual carriageway.

Alan Galudzinski, 26, was hit from behind by a Vauxhall Corsa, that was being driven at 70mph (112km/h) on an unlit section of the A4042 in Newport.

Specialist officers found he was travelling at speeds of up to 19mph (30km/h) when the crash happened at 00:45 BST on 30 September 2023, and he was also more than twice the drink-drive limit.

Investigators told BBC show The Crash Detectives that under no circumstances would a driver expect to see an e-scooter on a dual carriageway in the dark.

"All of a sudden we hit something and had no idea what it was," is how the 18-year-old driver of the Vauxhall Corsa described the crash.

Both people in the car escaped with minor injuries.

However, with extensive damage to the car revealing it was travelling in line with the e-scooter at the point of impact, this posed the question of why didn't the driver take any avoiding action?

As Gwent Police officers set to find out, forensic collision investigator PC Matt Rue described how it is illegal for privately-owned scooters to be used on public roads in this way.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people don't understand that and don't realise that," he said.

"But not only are they illegal, they make for very vulnerable road users."

During a torchlight search for evidence, an S-shaped mark on the road surface revealed Mr Galudzinski had been riding in the middle of lane one at the time of impact.

The scooter was fitted with a small front headlight, and a rear red light.

While it was damaged in the collision, it still powered up – and revealed that the rider was using it in sport mode, with a top speed of 19mph (30.5km/h).

The team reconstructed the conditions at the same time of night.

They closed the road, positioned a replica scooter, with an officer wearing the same clothes as the rider, and used the same make and model of car.

PC Rue noted that as the car headlights went on, they lit up the red edge of carriageway markers of the gentle left-hand bend of the road ahead.

While the rear red light of the scooter was visible in the distance, it was not until the car was very close behind that the light stood out as being separate to the cat's eyes.

"The design on the back of his jacket was a circular design, and it was quite distinctive," PC Rue added.

"But unfortunately, it turned out that there was a circular sign, on the edge of the carriageway, and that just served to blend him into the overall environment of the collision scene, and made it even more difficult for the driver of the car to identify him as a hazard."

He concluded the driver would not have had sufficient time to see the rider and react, adding: "Under no circumstances would you expect to see an e-scooter in the middle of lane one of a dual carriageway, in the dark."

No charges were brought against the driver.

Investigations revealed that the e-scooter rider was almost two-and-a-half times the drink drive limit.

"Intoxication maybe answered a lot of questions as to why he ended up being in the position and the circumstances that he found himself in," PC Rue said.

It is illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters on public roads, pavements or anywhere the public has access.

They can only be used on private land, with the landowner's consent.

The only e-scooters that can be used on public roads are those rented through official, government-approved trials.

The full investigation can be seen on Crash Detectives: In The Shadows at 19:00 BST on Wednesday, 22 October, BBC One Wales, BBC2 England, and BBC iPlayer