Woman jailed for causing death of disabled pedestrian in Chatham
Driver who causing the death of a disabled pedestrian in Kent jailed
A driver who failed to stop after causing the death of a disabled pedestrian on a pelican crossing has been jailed.
The victim, a man in his 70s who walked with two sticks, was crossing New Road in Chatham at around 10.50pm on Monday 10 August 2020 when he was struck by a Ford Fiesta driven by 30-year-old Naomi North.
He suffered multiple serious injuries and died at the scene.
Kent Police confirmed North had been driving at a speed of between 29 and 33 mph but did not slow down as she approached the flashing amber lights of the crossing and collided with the man as he was just a few steps from reaching the kerb.
She later told officers she had not seen him prior to the incident and panicked after realising she had hit someone.
She drove away without stopping and attended a relative’s home where she was arrested the following morning.
In a police interview, North denied using her mobile phone at the time of the collision but said she had lost it in a park later that night, meaning officers were unable to analyse its usage.
Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit then charged North, of Church Road, Swanscombe, with causing death by dangerous driving.
She denied the offence but was found guilty following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.
She was sentenced to four years' in prison and banned from driving for 12 years.
'This was a tragic case'
Detective Sergeant Barry Goodsell said:
"This was a tragic case in which a man using a pelican crossing was left for dead by a motorist who was clearly not paying enough attention whilst driving.
"Road traffic collisions do not happen for no reason and on this occasion the weather and lighting conditions were good, and we estimate North would have been able to see the victim for at least seven seconds before she collided with him.
"Only she knows what she was doing when she should have been fully concentrating on the road ahead of her.
‘Our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased for their loss and we hope the outcome of this case affords them some closure."