Careless driver killed pensioner after being distracted by his dog

A careless driver who killed a woman after careering into a parked car has been jailed.

Richard Clarke was driving along Annesley Road, in Hucknall, when he was distracted by his unrestrained pet dog.

Moments before the collision, on November 3, last year, the adult Weimaraner had begun to move around in the back of the vehicle, causing the 37-year-old to take his eyes off the road.

Seconds later, he hit the front of a taxi that had arrived to pick up a 77-year-old woman and her 80-year-old husband.

The woman was in the process of climbing into the car through the rear passenger side door at the time of the collision.

She suffered serious injuries that later proved fatal in hospital.

Her husband sustained fractures to his pelvis and leg. He also sustained a deep cut to his forehead. The taxi driver was not seriously injured.

Clarke, of Bestwood Road, Hucknall, who was also uninjured in the crash, later admitted to a charge of causing death by careless driving.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, June 23, he was jailed for 24 weeks and handed a 64-week driving ban.

Detective Constable Chris Taylor, who led the investigation on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies reman with the victim’s family.

"Although no criminal sanction can bring back their beloved wife and mother, I do hope that today’s sentence provides them with at least some degree of closure.

“Clarke was fatally distracted because he hadn’t appropriately restrained his dog when he set off on his journey.

"The tragedy of this case is that it could have been avoided with the use of a simple seatbelt harness which can be bought for under £10.

“I only hope that what happens serves as a warning to other pet owners about the potential consequences of failing to secure their animals when they are using the road.”