Van driver found guilty of killing two pedestrians by careless driving in Carlisle

A motorcycle trader has been convicted of causing the deaths of two pedestrians by careless driving after they were run over by his van while crossing a road in Carlisle.

Terry Abson, 62, died at the scene which occurred on the city’s West Tower Street just before 1pm on March 1 2021. His partner, Gina Lands, 56, passed away in hospital seven days later.

Marc Large, 49, went on trial at Carlisle Crown Court this week. He denied two charges of causing the deaths of Mr Abson and Miss Lands by careless driving.

Jurors heard at the time he was on a phone call — in a vehicle fitted with a hands-free system — which ended four seconds after the fatal collision.

Two sisters on board a bus told how they watched the tragedy unfold just metres away, hearing a “massive bang”. One sister heard Large screaming “what have I done?” in the immediate aftermath.

Large did not give evidence during his trial. He had provided a prepared statement when interviewed, saying that his visual field was affected by glaring sun and recalling that he carried out emergency stop braking. He denied being distracted and had stated: “I really can’t explain how this collision occurred as I never saw the couple until a split second before I hit them.”

A police collision investigator had concluded sunlight would not have affected Large’s ability to see pedestrians. The officer had not found any skid marks on the carriageway surface and said the couple were on the road for about five seconds.

CCTV showed traffic lights for motorists were on amber as Large, of Gleneagles Road, Sunderland, approached the crossing.

Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Evans had said of Large: “The Crown say he had ample time and opportunity to pay attention to what was on the road ahead of him, and he ought to have seen that the two deceased were already on the road as he was approaching the lights.”

On Friday jurors found Large guilty of causing the deaths of Mr Abson and Miss Lands by careless driving after hearing all evidence in the trial.

The case was adjourned by Judge Michael Fanning. Large is due to be sentenced at the crown court on March 22, and in the meantime he has been bailed and handed an interim driving ban.

In a tribute to Mr Abson and Miss Lands which was issued through police after the tragedy, relatives described the couple as caring parents and told how they "take comfort that they are now together again as they were in life".

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