Field Side, Thorne, Doncaster: Van driver killed elderly mobility scooter rider after sun glare impaired sight
A van driver killed an elderly mobility scooter rider by driving into the back of him, after glare from the sun impaired his ability to see, Sheffield Crown Court has heard.
69-year-old Derek McGlone suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by the Mercedes Sprinter van driven by defendant Lee Edmonds.
The impact of the collision caused Mr McGlone to mount the pavement and fall to the side, prosecutor Laura Marshall told a hearing held on November 15, 2024.
Mr McGlone was rushed to hospital to receive treatment for his injuries, but despite the best efforts of medics he died in hospital three days later.
Handing Edmonds a suspended sentence, Judge Megan Rhys said: “There is nothing that this court, or anybody, can do that will undo the harm that has been caused to Mr McGlone and his family and friends. I offer my condolences to them.”
Edmonds, aged 43, admitted causing Mr McGlone’s death through careless or inconsiderate driving at an earlier hearing, but denied causing his death by dangerous driving.
He faced the latter charge in a trial at the same court, but jurors acquitted him of the offence.
Describing the circumstances of the collision, which took place on Fieldside in Thorne, near Doncaster, Judge Megan Rhys told Edmonds: “You were driving a transit van on Field Side, Thorne, you collided with the driver of a mobility scooter.”
“The scooter was pushed onto the pavement…Mr McGlone unfortunately sustained injuries which caused his death three days later.”
Judge Rhys said expert evidence, which was heard during the course of Edmonds’ trial had concluded that the ‘sun was very high’ at the time of the collision, at around 9.30am on June 20, 2022.
She said Edmonds had attempted to take action to combat the sun glare by putting his sun visor down.
“But it meant that you didn’t see Mr McGlone until it was too late,” Judge Rhys said.
Other drivers travelling in front of Edmonds had overtaken Mr McGlone prior to the collision, the court heard.
Ms Marshall said the subsequent crash investigation revealed that Edmonds had been driving below the legal speed limit 30 miles per hour for that road.
She also said it had been determined that Mr McGlone was ‘entitled to be on the road in the way he was, and was positioned correctly’.
Edmonds, of Cowper Road, Mexborough, Doncaster, remained at the scene following the fatal crash, and during discussions with police officers at the roadside, he admitted that his driving had been ‘careless,’ the court heard.
Ms Marshall said: “He initially said he didn’t see Mr McGlone, but later acknowledged he did see him, but maintained that his visibility was impaired by the sun.”
She told the court that Edmonds was a man of ‘good character’ with a clean criminal record at the time of the offence, but has subsequently been convicted of an offence of driving with excess alcohol committed on March 28, 2023, for which he received a driving disqualification.
Defending, Ian West said: “Mr Edmonds has expressed from the outset genuine remorse…he undoubtedly has empathy for the victim and his friends and family.”
Mr West described Edmonds as someone who has ‘always worked’ since leaving education, and referred Judge Rhys to two references submitted to the court from Edmonds’ employer and a colleague.
He suggested Edmonds’ child and their mother, to whom he pays child maintenance, would both be adversely affected should he be sent straight to custody.
Judge Rhys sentenced Edmonds to 18 months’ custody, suspended for 18 months, and said she had been persuaded to step back from an immediate sentence after concluding Edmonds has demonstrated genuine remorse, has a ‘realistic prospect of rehabilitation’ and his ‘medium risk’ of re-offending, as outlined in his pre-sentence report, can be ‘managed in the community’.
She told Edmonds: “I accept that you never intended to cause any harm to anybody and that you are genuinely remorseful.”
“This was a tragic incident - not just for Mr McGlone and his family - but also for you and your family.”
Judge Rhys also ordered Edmonds to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, along with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
She issued Edmonds with a two-year driving ban, but told him he will not be required to take an extended driving test when his disqualification expires.