Death crash driver jailed
A 78-year-old Mid Wales man has been jailed for a year and banned from driving for life after causing the death of a father-of-four on the Welshpool bypass last year.
A 78-year-old Mid Wales man has been jailed for a year and banned from driving for life after causing the death of a father-of-four on the Welshpool bypass last year.
Walter John Phelps, of Mill Close, Newtown, had pulled out to overtake a lorry and failed to pull back when he realised he could not make it, Mold Crown Court heard yesterday.
Mr Andrew Green, prosecuting, said his actions caused a lorry to jack-knife and hit a car driven by 40-year-old Andrew Michael Cornish, from Newtown, who was killed.
The court heard Phelps, who was working as a volunteer driver for Powys Challenge at the time of the crash, had tried to squeeze his Rover between a low-loader lorry and an oncoming petrol tanker.
But he struck the tanker and then cut across the front of the lorry he had just overtaken.
There was a collision between the low-loader and Phelps's car, causing it to veer to the nearside, rotating out of control, the court was told.
Mr Green said the lorry jack-knifed, sending the tractor unit into the opposite carriageway. The trailer swung around into the on-coming traffic, colliding with Mr Cornish's Honda.
Mr Cornish was declared dead at the scene.
Judge Philip Hughes told Phelps, who admitted causing the death of Mr Cornish on April 26 last year, that he was solely responsible for the accident.
"The court has a duty to mark public concern about offences of this kind which have such a catastrophic result," the judge said.
He said that not only had Mr Cornish's life been taken, but the lives of his family and friends had been devastated.
Banning Phelps from driving for life, the judge said his driving had deteriorated to such an extent that he would remain a danger behind the wheel.
Phelps had been taking passenger Neil Jones to an appointment in Newtown.
Mr Jones had described Phelps's erratic driving and how the defendant had spoken of how fast his Rover car could go despite its age.
Mr Des Parry, defending, said the tragedy had had a great effect on Phelps but he appreciated it was nothing compared to the effect it had had on Mr Cornish's family.
By Deborah Knox