Driver killed woman, 85, after 'having his view obscured by air freshener and toy'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA man who knocked down and killed a pensioner in Tameside had his vision 'obscured' by an air freshener and toy hanging from his rear-view mirror, a court heard.
Motorist Christopher Hardy, 65, collided with 85-year-old pedestrian Maria Clayton as he turned at a junction in Mossley. Miss Clayton, who had been on a shopping errand in the run-up to Christmas, suffered multiple injuries and died 13 days later in hospital on Boxing Day.
The court was told that grandfather and widower Hardy was driving slowly but failed to see her in the road as he turned left.
Prosecutors said he had performed an 'unsafe manoeuvre' and that: "There was an air freshener and a toy hanging from the defendant's mirror which obscured his view." Join our FREE Manchester Crime and Court WhatsApp group by clicking here However, Hardy's lawyer said the tragedy was the result of a 'momentary lapse of concentration.' He is now facing up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk