AN ELDERLY woman was killed instantly after being hit by a lorry on a busy Hampshire high street, a court heard.
Margaret Fraser, was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a lorry driven by Gary Horbury.
The 89-year-old had been walking across the pedestrian crossing near the Boots branch in Station Road, New Milton.
Prosecuting Michael Forster, told how Horbury, 58, of Ferndale Road, New Milton, had been travelling south and came to a stop at the lights.
However, the front of his vehicle was overhanging the pedestrian crossing.
Mrs Fraser had been waiting on the left-hand of the road and when the pedestrian sign flashed green, she began to cross.
Horbury who had been following a lorry in front of him moved off when the lights were still red.
He was unaware he had hit the beloved great-grandmother until flagged down by witnesses.
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Mr Forster said the defendant was at fault for failing to align his front mirror, failing to make any checks of the mirror and failing to move in the cab so that he had a better view.
In a victim personal statement, Mrs Fraser’s daughter said the incident had a devastating effect on the family.
She told of the heartbreak that her life had been cruelly cut short.
The court heard how the defendant had no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of the incident on January 20 last year.
Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Horbury was charged with causing death by careless driving Defending, Rob Bryant said that his client was of previous good character with 30-years experience working as a professional HGV driver.
He added that he had a clean licence.
Mr Bryant told how Horbury had served in the Royal Navy onboard the HMS Broadsword and helped to evacuate 170 people from HMS Coventry during the Falklands War in 1982 He urged the court that any custodial sentence should be suspended.
Judge Christopher Parker QC handed him a 24-month community order to include 220 hours of unpaid work He made no order for costs.
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