A van driver accused of causing an elderly pedestrian’s death as he reversed the wrong way down a narrow one-way Wigton street has gone on trial.
William Hughes, an 84-year-old man who was in robust health, had been to Carlisle and back by bus on July 31 2019.
After leaving a bus on Wigton’s Station Road instead of King Street, which was closed due to a police incident, Mr Hughes walked along narrow residential New Street on his way home.
Traffic was only permitted to travel towards him although no vehicles were actually able to enter New Street legitimately from King Street because of the closure.
Mercedes Sprinter driver David Barron, unable to access New Street the correct way, instead reversed the wrong way into it from Station Road at low speed, heading the same way as Mr Hughes.
He did so first around a sharp left hand bend and then slowly along a straight section intending to visit Jacksons Models to check whether there were any parcels for collection.
In total, prosecutor Jon Close told a Carlisle Crown Court jury, Barron reversed for around 72 metres — including 47 metres on the straight stretch — for about 22.5 seconds. His vehicle had no rear windows, nor a reversing camera nor warning sounds.
Mr Close said Barron’s vehicle, at around 4.5mph, inevitably caught up with Mr Hughes. “This was, to some extent, a slow moving tragedy but was one that should never have happened,” alleged the prosecutor.
There was, he told jurors, a substantial vehicle blind spot of 48.8 metres meaning that Mr Hughes was “hidden” from mirror view throughout. Mr Close alleged that Barron created an obvious and clear danger.
His van struck Mr Hughes, who fell forward and was trapped underneath the vehicle. He suffered multiple, unsurvivable injuries and died despite heroic efforts by emergency services personnel.
Barron, of Hillcrest Avenue, Carlisle, denies charges which allege that he caused Mr Hughes’ death by dangerous and, alternatively, careless driving. Mr Close alleged the standard of Barron’s driving fell far below and below, respectively, that of a careful and competent driver.
He suggested to jurors: “The prosecution say that there was no reason for the defendant to take that risk.”
The trial continues.
