Woman, 86, 'thanked' driver seconds before fatal crash

An elderly pedestrian who put her hand up to thank a driver waiting at a junction of a car park was fatally run over by the same car seconds later, a court has heard.

Maureen Sanderson, 86, died two days after she was hit by Tracie Spowage's Nissan Juke while crossing Nuthall Road in Aspley, Nottingham, on 13 October last year.

Spowage, a 58-year-old charity worker, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

The defendant, of Petworth Drive, Basford, was handed a 10-month jail term, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Philip Cowburn told the court Spowage was leaving the car park when she waited at the junction leading on to Nuthall Road for 14 seconds.

"Maureen is seen to raise her hand out in the 'thank you' motion towards the car, seemingly thanking this defendant for waiting," he said.

"This defendant drives forwards and collides with her. Maureen falls to the ground and is taken underneath the Nissan Juke."

The court heard Sanderson was taken to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where she was pronounced dead on 15 October.

Sanderson was described as a "strong lady with a zest for life" by her loved ones, and a victim impact statement read on behalf of her daughter Michelle said the family was upset at seeing "her favourite coat covered in blood".

The court heard the family had to make the decision to turn off her ventilator, which the family's statement said was "a situation no one should be put in".

Spowage, who has been driving for nearly 30 years, already had three points on her licence for speeding on a 30mph (48 km/h) road two years earlier.

Lucky Thandi, defending, said Spowage "knows for the rest of her life she will carry the guilt" of causing the death.

As part of Spowage's sentence, Judge Steven Coupland ordered her to attend 30 rehabilitation sessions and handed her a six-month curfew, meaning she cannot leave her home address between 20:00 and 06:00.

The judge told the defendant Sanderson was "entitled to cross the road where she did", adding: "You are here because you did not keep a proper look out or check before moving off."

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