Community nurse jailed for killing 'devoted husband and family man' in 'devastating' Shropshire crash
The deceased man’s wife and son shared their heartbreak at “never being able to say goodbye”
A community nurse who killed a “devoted husband and family man” by swerving and crashing into him on a busy A-road has been jailed.
Jason Carter, aged 55, veered into the opposite lane on the A458 between Cressage and Harley, near Much Wenlock, crashing into a Nissan Micra, being driven by Barry Russell.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that both men were airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham with serious injuries after the crash at around 1.50pm on October 31, 2023.
Medics did their best to save Mr Russell, including carrying out surgery. However, he never regained consciousness and died a few weeks later on November 19. He was 77 at the time of the crash but turned 78 while in hospital.
The court was told that Carter was driving a Seat Ibiza courtesy car, as his own vehicle was being repaired by a garage.
On the afternoon in question, witness Paul Beaman, who was driving directly behind Carter, said he observed the Seat swerve into the opposite lane of the 60mph road twice before the collision took place.
He told police that “he thought something was wrong here”, and Carter’s driving prompted him to “drop back”. He said that Carter was driving within the speed limit but he suspected he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Another witness, Adrian Sumner, who was driving behind Mr Russell’s Nissan, said he identified no issues with Mr Russell’s driving before there was “an explosion of metal and plastic”.
Both witnesses got out of their cars to try and help after the crash, as well as someone else who was parked in a lay-by close by and an off-duty police officer, who tried to make Mr Russell comfortable.
After Mr Russell was airlifted to hospital, he had an operation and was admitted to intensive care. But when it became clear there was no prospect of recovery, his life support was withdrawn.
A collision investigation was launched and it was found that there were no defects with the vehicles or the road, the weather and visibility were good and Carter had no alcohol or illicit substances in his system.
The police investigator said it was not possible to establish why Carter made the fatal manoeuvre.
Carter was interviewed by police around six months after the crash, and said he did not know how the collision occurred and could not remember it. He said he was not tired on the day or distracted.
He said he was “devastated” that Mr Russell had died.
The court was told that Mr Russell was a retired engineer, teacher and signalman.
He worked for Rolls-Royce before changing career in the 1980s to become a teacher, and then became a signalman in around 2000.
He had enjoyed going to the Isle of Man TT races, and was a keen cyclist and trainspotter.
Mr Russell was an active member of his local church and used to sing in its choir.
He married his wife Stella in 1974 and they were married for almost 50 years. In his later years he helped care for her due to her mobility struggles.
A victim impact statement from their son Ian was summarised in court.
He said: “Losing my dad so suddenly and unexpectedly is very traumatic and painful.
“He never regained consciousness after the accident, so none of the family got to say goodbye.
“I feel upset for my dad that his life ended prematurely and he didn’t get to spend more time doing the things he loved.
“My relationship with my dad was good. I miss his advice and most of all, his company.
“It hurts not to be able to tell him how much I love him and what a good bloke he was.”
A statement from his wife Stella was also read.
She said: “He was my main emotional support. When it first happened, I was sad and shocked. It took me a while to come to terms about what happened.
“I miss talking to him. He talked a lot and was a calming influence. I miss him.”
‘He has never been able to explain’
Carter, of Ely Close, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. He has no previous convictions.
Ian Bridge, mitigating, said: “He accepts he is entirely to blame for what happened. It was never his intention to cause anyone harm.
“He is heartbroken that he has killed this man.
“He has spent his entire working life as a community nurse practitioner.
“He has never been able to explain what happened. He believes he may have suffered a medical episode.
“His pain arising from this is nothing next to the Russell family’s.”
Judge Trevor Meegan told Carter: “A-roads are the most dangerous type of roads. We are particularly aware of that at Shrewsbury Crown Court, unfortunately, due to the number of cases of this nature.”
He said Mr Russell “contributed positively to the community throughout his life”, adding: “Above all, he was a devoted husband and family man.”
“The victim impact statements demonstrate the profound and lasting impact of his death,” Judge Meegan said, adding that Mr Russell’s death will have left “a void of unimaginable size” for his loved ones.
“Nothing I do or say will fill that void. A judge cannot repair the damage caused by the loss of a life.”
It was said that Carter is “deeply distressed” and “burdened greatly” by the consequences of Mr Russell’s death.
“It is something you will carry with you for the rest of your life,” Judge Meegan told him.
When coming to the decision of whether to suspend Carter’s sentence or send him immediately to jail, the judge said: “Punishment, deterrent and public confidence in the criminal justice system can only properly be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence. This offence resulted in the death of an entirely innocent road user.”
He jailed Carter for 13 months and banned him from driving for five years and five-and-a-half months.
It is expected that Carter will serve 40 per cent of the custodial term behind bars before being released on licence.