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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Lincoln’s pre-fab housing which has stood since the Second World War should be pulled down when the opportunity arises, a councillor has said.
Roughly 100 homes from the 1940s are still standing around the Outer Circle Drive area.
They were built to last around 20 years during the post-war housing shortage using pre-fabricated steel.
The planning committee voted this week to demolish one which had become “unfit for habitation”, and Councillor Edmund Strengiel called for others to follow when possible.
“It’s long overdue for prefab houses to be knocked down. These houses should only have lasted 20 years, although some may still be comfortable and liveable,” he told the meeting.
One pre-fab is deemed to be ‘unfit for habitation’ | Image: City of Lincoln Council
“In my hometown, many of these were demolished in the 1970s, and something much better was put in their place. We could have lovely bungalows here.”
He added: “I have no doubt people still want to live in them, and I’m not suggesting that anyone should be forced to move out if they don’t want to.
“To be fair to the council, money isn’t readily available. It would probably be a case of taking them down and replacing them one by one.
“But if the funds are there and the residents are happy, it is time for the council’s housing team to make that decision.”
Around 157,000 homes were constructed around the country after the war, although not many are still standing.
There are around 100 pre-fabs from the 1940s around Outer Circle Drive in Lincoln | Photo: City of Lincoln Council
The bungalow on Outer Circle Drive had fallen into disrepair after the tenant refused improvement works on several occasions.
It was declared void in March 2020 following a survey.
‘Raunchy mini-golf action’ is coming to Lincoln as GloryHoles Golf prepares to open its third bar later this summer.
GloryHoles Golf will open in the unit formerly occupied by Interpsort on Lincoln High Street, initially for drinks by the end of July.
It is expected to open with a full 18 holes of raunchy mini-golf action, including 13 lucky dip holes, before the end of September.
GloryHoles was set up by business partners Dan Brown, Drew Hewitt and Dave Hood of Curious Venues, who have so far opened venues with their ‘unique adult mini-golf experience’ in Nottingham and Sheffield.
The bar area is expected to include arcade machines, pool and beer pong, and there is also expected to be an upstairs room for private hire with games and screens. The 18 holes will each have their own unique themes and challenges.
There are also plans for a terrace area, as well as outdoor seating in front of the building. The former occupiers of the building Intersport closed in January 2021 before reopening for a weekend in June last year to dispose of its remaining stock.
GloryHoles Golf will open on Lincoln High Street in the unit formerly occupied by Intersport. | Photo: The Lincolnite
It is understood that prices will be £10 per head from Monday to Thursday, and then £12 Friday to Sunday. Opening hours are expected to be 4pm-11pm on Mondays, 12pm-11pm Tuesdays to Thursdays, 12pm-1am Fridays and Saturdays, and 12pm-10pm on Sundays.
If Lincoln matches its Nottingham bar, then customers could be urged to “grab your club and take it to the jungle, ride the wave and take on extraterrestrials across 18 uniquely themed holes to fill”.
GloryHoles provides ‘adult themed crazy golf’. | Photo: The Lincolnite
In terms of the bar and lounge, its Nottingham venue says “even the best need to take a break after getting balls deep in our holes.”
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