Woman avoids jail after causing fatal crash
Main article content
A driver who caused a collision which killed a motorcyclist has been handed a suspended sentence.
Alicja Grabska, 65, pulled out of a junction in her Nissan Qashqai directly into the path of motorcyclist Bradley Roberts at just after 4pm on 31 January this year.
Mr Roberts, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash at the junction of the A1101 Mildenhall Road and Mile End Road, at Littleport.
Grabska, of Dogwood Walk, RAF Lakenheath, in Brandon, Suffolk, was arrested at the scene.
In interview, she said she had seen the motorcyclist, but thought she had enough time to pull out.
Grabska pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in September and on Friday (13 December) was handed eight months in prison, suspended for two years, at Peterborough Crown Court.
She was also ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for two years.
Det Sgt Craig Wheeler, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:
“This was a tragic case where a motorcyclist lost his life in a completely avoidable collision. Grabska made the decision to pull out of a junction without stopping, despite claiming to have seen the motorcyclist. This decision cost Mr Roberts his life, leaving his wife and two young children without a husband and father. Whilst the sentence does nothing to ease their pain and suffering, I hope that it can at least provide the family some closure.
“I would like to remind all road users to ‘think bike’ and remain vigilant when on the roads. Even one small lapse in judgement can have devastating consequences.”
Mr Roberts’ wife, Chelsie, said:
"The hole Brad has left in our world is unimaginable, but sadly is our daily reality. Myself and both his five-year-old children have had to face the loss of a vital member of our family, who provided love, care and countless memories. He was our teacher, our support and a wonderful man who would stop at nothing to make us laugh and to share the wisdom he'd accumulated in his life.
"Our family is not the same without him, and we've suffered with debilitating health conditions while trying to navigate the loss of our Brad, and the trauma his death has made us face.
"Before, our home would be filled with the sound of him and the kids laughing, the Xbox and tv ringing out the sound of his favourite games as he taught the children to play, or the dining table would be covered with various vehicle or remote controlled car parts as he taught me and the little ones his skills. Now, our home has become an empty, quiet house.
"Brad and I were always keen to improve our driving competency and took a keen interest in our vehicles and their maintenance. We would research ways to improve road safety, be that the safety wear when riding our bikes, or ways to improve our own skills. It's unnerving to know that the passion we had for our vehicles and the freedom our motorcycles gave us ultimately cost Brad his life. While he was not at fault, the perceived belief that other road users surrounding him will acknowledge the highway code lured him into a false sense of security.
"I would like to urge drivers to ensure that, while we are encouraged to check the competency of our vehicles, the main consideration before operating any vehicle should be for your own competency. Please ensure you are fit to drive, that your reactivity isn't compromised in any way and that you are familiar with the highway code. Don't get caught up in the complacency that long term driving or routinely driving familiar routes can bring. Ensure you are completing thorough observations before committing to your manoeuvres and look out for vulnerable road users. From someone who knows what it's like to live through the reality of the headlines, trust me, it's not worth the risk."
