Lorry driver cleared of causing pensioner’s death
A lorry driver who was parked illegally on the hard shoulder of a motorway slip road when a pensioner drove into his vehicle has been cleared of causing her death.
Wearing her night clothes, Susan Mellor, of Sherbourne Drive, Maidstone, ploughed into the Mercedes articulated truck in the early hours and died instantly.
A jury took just 45 minutes on Monday to acquit Czech trucker Jaroslav Horvath of causing death by dangerous driving and an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.
The 74-year-old mother was having anxiety issues at the time but the prosecution said it was only speculation that she intended to end her life.
Prosecutor Simon Connolly told the jury of eight women and four men: “One of the questions you may have to consider is whether this was attempted suicide. That, the Crown say, is speculation – really nothing more than guesswork. You will hear evidence from family and friends that would enable you to discount that.”
Horvath, 40, had arrived on a ferry at Dover on December 6, 2015. He later said the crossing was very rough and he felt unwell and tired and wanted to stop for a rest break.
He claimed he could not find anywhere to park after he left Dover and drove off the M20 at junction seven near Detling to look for a place to stop. He went down a slip road towards London and parked behind three other lorries stationed illegally on the hard shoulder.
“The location is lit by street lighting,” said Mr Connolly. “It was completely on the hard shoulder, so it was not blocking either of the two lanes.”
Horvath went to sleep in the cab. His tachograph showed he had stopped at 1.54am.
Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Mrs Mellor’s Nissan Qashqai heading for the lorry and disappearing just after 5am.
Mr Connolly said vehicles were not allowed to park on motorways because it was inherently dangerous: “The defendant did make a choice to park there.”