Mary Bernadette Blades sadly died following the collision on the A17 at Swineshead.
A lorry driver caused a double fatal crash when he drove straight into the back of a car waiting to turn right off the A17, Lincoln Crown Court was told on Tuesday.
Kelvin Mason failed to see the Citroen Xsara in time to stop, and although he braked, it was too late and his 18-tonne lorry smashed into the back of the car.
Joyce Traves, 83, and her friend Mary Blades, 84, who were both passengers in the car, died as a result of the injuries they received in the collision at Swineshead in August 2018.
The two women, together with their husbands, were on their way to lunch at a nearby restaurant.
John Traves, who was driving the car, was seriously injured and spent three weeks in the Queen’s Medical Centre at Nottingham before being released. Frank Blades was also injured but less seriously.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said that Mr Traves was waiting to make a right turn into Villa Lane to access a farm shop and restaurant where the group planned to have lunch.
Mason, who was driving behind the car, did not pay attention to what was ahead of him.
“It was a dry day. There were no problems with visibility.
“Mr Traves says he was indicating to turn right. It should have been clear to anyone in the defendant’s position what was happening ahead of him
“He should have been aware Mr Traves was slowing down and had come to a stop. He should have been aware of the need for him to slow long before he applied emergency braking.
“This was a professional driver who was driving a large goods vehicle. The consequences of a vehicle like that colliding with a saloon car are obvious.”
John Traves, in a victim impact statement, said he has since suffered nightmares, flashbacks and insomnia. He said that the death of his wife had caused him great difficulty.
Frank Blades said he had been married to his wife for 65 years. He said “Part of me died with her. I think about my wife first thing in the morning. I try to make life like it was when she was alive. I cannot express how much I miss her.”
The court was told that Mason had no previous convictions and had a clean driving licence.
He was driving within the speed limit and, the court was told, there was no evidence of him being distracted by a mobile phone or altering the radio or sat nav.
When he was interviewed by police he said he was aware of the car in front of him.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said: “He said he completed a mirror check. When he looked back the car had stopped and was immediately in front of him. He said he slammed the brakes on but collided with the car.”
Kelvin Mason, 52, of The Brambles, Holbeach, admitted two charges of causing death by careless driving as a result of the collision in August 2018.
He was given a six month jail sentence suspended for 18 months with 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from driving for two years.
Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight, passing sentence, said the main reason why Mason was not going straight to prison was because of the effect on both his wife and his mother both of whom he acts as carer for.
She told him: “This was a dead straight single carriageway road. It was a fine, dry day.
“You had no reason not to see the Xsara slowing and stopping. You would also have been able to see that there was oncoming traffic that prevented the car from turning immediately.
“You had plenty of time to stop and you didn’t do so, braking instead at the last minute and colliding with the car. You should have been aware of what was happening in front of you.”
Tim Pole, in mitigation, said that Mason apologised for what happened.
“He was a professional driver. It was something he had carried out with great competence over many years. He had no previous convictions and not even a point on his driving licence.
“He never intended for this to happen and is deeply apologetic that it did. It is something that he will carry with him for the rest of his life. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is the first thing he thinks about when he wakes and the last thing he thinks about before he goes to bed.
“He is a decent, honest and hard-working man.”
Mr Pole told the court that Mason, who no longer works as a lorry driver, is the carer for both his wife, who has a number of serious medical conditions, and for his mother.
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Phase two of the works at Speakers’ Corner in Lincoln is well underway and expected to finish on schedule this summer.
Phase two, which began on Monday, January 11, will see existing paving upgraded, as well as new street furniture being installed.
It will follow the first phase which was completed and open to the public on December 22, with a new bench put in place around the existing London Plane tree, instead of the demolished kiosk.
Speakers Corner bench is in place, but closed off until phase two paving works are finished. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Site setup for phase two is complete, with workers on site currently digging out the existing hard paving standings at the Cornhill.
A large portion of the area has been fenced off while work takes place, leaving just two pedestrian strips on either side to access both the High Street and the Cornhill Quarter.
There is limited access in the area while works take place. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Despite the cold and wet weather throughout January, progress of the paving removal has not been affected.
This means that phase two works are still on course to be finished in summer this year.
It is hoped that once the area is completed, the walkways will blend in with those at Exchange Square, as well as utilising the space for events.
A look at how the finished development will look. | Illustration: City of Lincoln Council
Bin collections in Boston and in parts of East Lindsey will be suspended for the rest of the week due to COVID-related staff absences.
The collections will be suspended from Wednesday, January 27 as a number of East Lindsey District Council’s and Boston Borough Council’s waste crews either have coronavirus or are self-isolating.
Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council said it is not a decision that has been taken lightly and it is necessary for the service to be suspended in some southern parts of the district until Monday, February 1.
From Monday, waste collections are expected to continue as normal.
Households impacted by the disruption can present any accumulated side waste in black refuse sacks alongside their black bins on their next scheduled bin collection.
The following areas are affected:
Boston
Friskney
Eastville
New Leake
Stickford
Coningsby (part)
Coningsby Moorside
Dalderby
Haltham
Mareham Le Fen
Moorby
N Bolingbroke
Revesby
Scrivelsby
Tumby
Tumby Moorside
Tumby Woodside
Wilksby
Wood Enderby
Carrington
Dogdyke
Frithville
Gypsey Bridge
New Bolingbroke
New York
Scrub Hill
Thornton Le Fen
Westville
Antons Gowt
Cowbridge
Fishtoft
Frithville
Langrick
Sibsey
East Keal
East Kirkby
Hagnaby
Keal Coates
Midville
Stickney
Toynton All Saints
West Keal
Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director for Operations at the council, said: “Over the past couple of days it has proved a real challenge to keep the service going with a number of rounds having not been completed due to staff absences.
“With more crews off again today we needed to take action now and suspending the service is the only realistic option available to us to keep everyone safe – something we’ve worked hard to avoid.
“Our workforce has done an amazing job over the past year and they’ve received much praise from the community and are grateful for your continued good wishes.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to extend their open days at the Household Recycling Centre on Bittern Way for the disposal of black-bagged general waste and recycling only.
The two extra days of opening are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and next, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Over 6,000 people living in and around the Scunthorpe have signed up to donate convalescent plasma after having coronavirus.
This comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing for more potential plasma donors ahead of an upcoming third trial.
Convalescent plasma is the antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus. This can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response.
NHSBT wants more people in the area hitting the 28-day recovery mark to sign up.
Over 30 donations have so far been taken at the Scunthorpe donor centre at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road, which opened in December last year.
People can register to donate online here and can donate 28 days after they’ve recovered from coronavirus.
The Lincolnshire centre is located at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. | Photo: NHSBT
NHSBT is collecting the plasma for new trials for older people or those with cancer to treat them early in the course of the infection.
Two earlier trials have now stopped for data analysis. The upcoming third trial’s focus will be on those with low immune systems and all donations are tested for COVID antibodies.
The NHS trials of convalescent plasma are the largest randomised controlled trials for this treatment of COVID-19.
Professor Dave Roberts, Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “More people than ever are now able to help – the time to donate is now.
“We especially need donations from people in Scunthorpe who’ve had hospital care. Men who had hospital care are around six times more likely to have the high antibody levels which might save lives.
“We have completed two trials and analysis is ongoing. We now need to collect plasma for further planned clinical studies. We’re particularly looking at high risk groups such as the elderly and people with cancer.
“Donations are vital to the ongoing lifesaving research, which gives us a better understanding of how we can best treat patients with COVID-19 and help prevent deaths in the future.”