A van driver has been convicted of causing an elderly pedestrian’s death by careless driving after running him over while reversing the wrong way along a narrow residential one-way town street.
David Barron, a 57-year-old self-employed driver contracted to delivery firm DPD, was intending to visit a business on Wigton’s New Street on the afternoon of July 31, 2019. As police responded to reports of town centre stabbings, Barron found his only point of legitimate access to New Street closed as an area was locked down.
He instead diverted to Station Road and amid what he called chaotic scenes reversed his seven-metre long white Mercedes Sprinter through a no entry sign on to New Street, shunting it around a 90-degree bend before travelling backwards along a straight section of the narrow road.
A witness told Carlisle Crown Court he saw 84-year-old William Hughes walking on New Street in the road towards any traffic that would have been correctly heading along it. As he saw Barron’s van approach Mr Hughes from behind, the witness ran to the van yelling “stop, stop, stop”, and banged on the back door.
But Barron’s vehicle ran over Mr Hughes, who died despite the heroic efforts of emergency services personnel.
Barron went on trial having denied causing Mr Hughes’ death by both dangerous and careless driving. In evidence he told jurors he was driving with the utmost care and under no pressure of time but never saw the pedestrian — a man in robust health with no reported hearing impairments.
As he got out of his van after hearing a bump, Barron admitted the first thing he said to Mr Hughes was “where the hell did you come from?” “As far as I was aware, there was nobody around,” he said.
When asked whether he had prioritised convenience over safety with his manoeuvre, Barron replied: “No.”
Despite Barron claiming he’d had a clear view of New Street, the court heard of his van’s 48.8-metre blind spot which just exceeded the length of the straight road on which he reversed for 22 seconds.
Prosecutor Jon Close had earlier described a slow-moving tragedy which, he told jurors, should never have happened.
Barron, of Hillcrest Avenue, Carlisle, was acquitted of causing death by dangerous driving but convicted unanimously of the alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.
Judge Guy Mathieson adjourned the case, ordering the preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report. Barron was bailed and is due to receive his punishment on March 27.
In a statement released after his death, Mr Hughes’ family said: “Billy was a devoted family man, very active, and always willing to help in the local community. He dedicated much of his spare time to volunteering at St Cuthbert’s, his local church, which gave him great joy.
His loving wife Alice, daughters Maureen and Jacqueline, and all the wider family, will miss him greatly.”
