Lorry driver jailed after fatal crash into broken-down car

A lorry driver who killed a woman after his truck collided into her broken-down car has been jailed.

Briony Elliott died when Jack McIntyre - who was driving for Gregory Distribution at the time - hit her Audi A4 at 55mph on the A38 near Plymouth on 11 September 2018.

The car was pushed into Mrs Elliott, 54, who was standing near it, fatally injuring her.

McIntyre, 36, of St Budeaux , who had no previous convictions, said he did not see the car on the left side of the road, despite it having both its hazard and rear lights on. The road had no hard shoulder.

McIntyre was driving from his employer Gregory Distribution's Ernesettle depot to Lichfield in Staffordshire.

The jury heard that he may not have seen the car because he did not use his wipers to clear the drizzle on what was a rainy evening.

Prosecutor Mary McCarthy said: "There can be no doubt that this accident was the result of him not seeing and not reacting to the presence of Mrs Elliott's vehicle.

"This was either as a result of his inattention or because his view was obscured by the drizzle through the failure to operate his wipers or a combination of both."

Judge William Mousley told McIntyre that driving a lorry was "especially dangerous if driven carelessly if even for a few seconds."

He added: "You were driving on the A38 and for whatever reason you simply did not see the parked car ahead of you."

McIntyre was found guilty of causing death by careless driving. He was sentenced to 34 weeks in jail and disqualified from driving for two years.