A PENSIONER whose partner died in a crash on a notorious Hampshire road could not avoid smashing into a lorry in front of him because he had no time to react, a court heard.
Michael Stewart told paramedics and police he had been driving with his left foot on the accelerator to help ease pain in his back when he smashed his Vauxhall Astra into the back of a lorry on the A338 in the New Forest.
The 77-year-old said he had been unable to untangle his legs to slam on the brakes in time to stop.
But Southampton Crown Court heard he later told police he had not meant he was driving with the wrong foot – a position he had likened to “cruise control” – at the time of the smash, only that he had done so earlier that day.
Stewart’s partner, Linda Williams, died at the scene of the crash, which happened near Breamore on the main Ringwood to Salisbury road on April 29 last year.
Defence barrister Richard Martin told the jury the driver of the car behind Stewart had not been at all concerned by the manner of his driving.
“He doesn’t dispute that at some point on the A338 he was driving in that unorthodox manner,” said Mr Martin.
“But this is not about what he was doing between Ringwood and Fordingbridge, it’s about what happened in this accident.”
The lorry with which Stewart’s car collided was braking because a Land Rover ahead of it had stopped in the carriageway to turn right.
The truck swerved to the left and Stewart pulled out to the right to overtake it, but had to turn back because of oncoming traffic.
Mr Martin said his client had had no time to stop.
He said: “All the witnesses say this happened in an instant. The American lady said it all happened at the same time.”
Jurors were today continuing their deliberations after hearing the last evidence from the five-day trial yesterday.
Summing up the prosecution case, prosecutor Maria Lamb said everyone behind the lorry had stopped safely, except for the defendant.
“Why? Because they were travelling at a speed and distance from the vehicle in front that allowed them to do so,”
she said.
“But more than that, they were driving in a way that allowed them to control their vehicle when an emergency did arise.”
Stewart, of Hemel Hempstead, denies causing death by dangerous driving.
Proceeding
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