'Tragic mistake' caused motorbike rider's death
Family handoutA woman who killed a motorbike rider when she pulled out in front of him on a dual carriageway has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Dax Jones, 51 and from Ashington in Northumberland, was travelling south on the A19 in North Yorkshire when Eleanor Wilson tried to drive across his path, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Wilson, 23 and from near Yarm, was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving but admitted killing Mr Jones by careless driving. She was jailed for six months suspended for 18 months for her "tragic mistake", with a judge saying road bosses should review the junction.
Mr Jones' family said he loved life and was a sensible and experienced motorbike rider.
Judge Richard Bennett said Wilson made a "miscalculation" and similar junctions had been closed because of previous "tragedies".
GoogleWilson, who had been driving for about six months, was trying to get to the central reservation turning area to head northbound when she drove her Ford Ka on to the A19 from a T-junction side road near Ingleby Arncliffe just before 08:00 BST on 15 June 2022, the court heard.
The road was busy with traffic as was normal for that time of the day and Mr Jones, who was riding his Yamaha motorbike at a steady speed in lane two, hit the side of her car head on and was flung from his bike, the court heard.
Other motorists tried to give first aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene an hour after the crash, the court heard.
Wilson had said she thought it was safe to cross as another car had just crossed from the central reservation into the road she was trying to exit, although dashcam footage revealed six seconds passed between that car completing its manoeuvre and Wilson starting hers, the court heard.
Her view of Mr Jones was also obscured by a van and lorry travelling southbound in lane one, the court heard.
'Best mate'
In a statement read to the court, Mr Jones' son said his "biggest fear" was his father being killed in a motorbike crash.
He said Mr Jones was his "best mate", adding he was "jolly and fun".
Mr Jones was killed shortly before becoming a grandfather and while riding to a new job which would have meant he could live closer to his family, the court heard.
His mother said he had loved "tinkering" with motorbikes since he was 12 and was an experienced rider.
She said she had been left "extremely angry" and "hurt" by her son's "immensely unexpected" death, adding: "I'll never hear my son's belly laugh again."
Mr Jones mother said he was a "generous and kind person" who would "do anything for anyone", citing two occasions when he rescued stricken friends from the sea.
In one he gave his mouthpiece to a fellow diver who lost their air supply, while in the other he jumped off a pier to pull a man to safety, the court heard.
Mr Jones' sister said: "He loved life and didn't take himself seriously."
'Racked with guilt'
In mitigation, the court heard Wilson, of The Green in Kirklevington, had been driving for six months and the crash was caused by a "momentary lapse of concentration".
Her barrister Paul Cleasby said she had cried everyday since the crash and they were tears for Mr Jones rather than "self pity", adding she was "deeply remorseful" and her feelings of guilt weighed heavily upon her.
Judge Richard Bennett said Mr Jones did nothing wrong and was driving sensibly, but motorbike riders were more vulnerable than other motorists.
He said a number of similar junctions on the A19 had been closed due to their "inherent" dangerousness and previous "tragedies", adding they could be an "unintended trap" for even experienced drivers.
"I would invite those responsible for considering the layout of this main road to reflect again on this junction," the judge said.
He said Wilson, who was an undergraduate driving to volunteer at a primary school, was "racked with guilt" and her remorse was "genuine and heartfelt".
Judge Bennett said Wilson was not a dangerous driver who deliberately ignored the rules of the road and willingly put others lives at risk but was an "inherently decent young woman who made a tragic mistake" with "catastrophic consequences".
Wilson was also sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work and banned from driving for a year.
