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Spider scare led to cyclist death | |
(40 minutes later) | |
Georgina Mills admitted killing Simon Evans on the A30 | Georgina Mills admitted killing Simon Evans on the A30 |
A driver who was distracted by a spider ended up killing a cyclist and badly injuring another when she took her eyes off the road to throw the creature out. | A driver who was distracted by a spider ended up killing a cyclist and badly injuring another when she took her eyes off the road to throw the creature out. |
Simon Evans, 37, from Derby, was on a charity bike ride when he died in the crash on the A30 in Devon in September. | Simon Evans, 37, from Derby, was on a charity bike ride when he died in the crash on the A30 in Devon in September. |
Georgina Mills, of Okehampton, Devon, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Exeter Crown Court. | Georgina Mills, of Okehampton, Devon, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Exeter Crown Court. |
The 23-year-old was given a two-year driving ban, a two-year community order and sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work. | The 23-year-old was given a two-year driving ban, a two-year community order and sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work. |
The court was told that Mills was driving to work when the crash happened at Tedburn St Mary as a result of a spider dropping in front of her. | The court was told that Mills was driving to work when the crash happened at Tedburn St Mary as a result of a spider dropping in front of her. |
Concentration lapse | Concentration lapse |
Prosecutor Richard Crabb said: "She grabbed it, opened the window and chucked it out of the car." | |
Mr Crabb said Mills only realised she had struck the cyclist when she had looked back at the road. | |
He added: "It is estimated that she took her eyes off the road for two seconds." | |
Mills, a civil engineer, told police at the scene that she was not a dangerous driver and said it had been a 'lapse of concentration'. | Mills, a civil engineer, told police at the scene that she was not a dangerous driver and said it had been a 'lapse of concentration'. |
Simon Evans, an IT manager, was on the second day of a cycle ride from Land's End to Derby when the crash happened. | Simon Evans, an IT manager, was on the second day of a cycle ride from Land's End to Derby when the crash happened. |
The court was told he had been riding behind his brother-in-law, Keith Richards, and that he had been inside the rumble strip - not on the main road - when he was hit. | The court was told he had been riding behind his brother-in-law, Keith Richards, and that he had been inside the rumble strip - not on the main road - when he was hit. |
He was pronounced dead at hospital an hour later. Mr Richards, 37, from Reading, suffered leg injuries in the crash. | He was pronounced dead at hospital an hour later. Mr Richards, 37, from Reading, suffered leg injuries in the crash. |
Defence barrister Rupert Taylor said that apart from the death and injury caused, there were no other aggravating features like speed, racing or drink. | Defence barrister Rupert Taylor said that apart from the death and injury caused, there were no other aggravating features like speed, racing or drink. |
He said that Mills was never going to drive again and described her as a "decent, productive, hard-working member of the community". | He said that Mills was never going to drive again and described her as a "decent, productive, hard-working member of the community". |
The court was told that Mills had a clean driving record, no previous convictions and excellent prospects. | The court was told that Mills had a clean driving record, no previous convictions and excellent prospects. |
On sentencing her, Judge Graham Cottle said: "There is no basis for disbelieving your account that you took your eyes temporarily off the road to deal with a creature. | On sentencing her, Judge Graham Cottle said: "There is no basis for disbelieving your account that you took your eyes temporarily off the road to deal with a creature. |
"You have never sought to blame any external factors in this case." | "You have never sought to blame any external factors in this case." |
Speaking after the sentence Keith Richards said: "The sentence passed can in no way repair the sense of loss that we feel and continue to feel each day." | Speaking after the sentence Keith Richards said: "The sentence passed can in no way repair the sense of loss that we feel and continue to feel each day." |
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