A woman who stopped without warning while driving on a main road in Kent has been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving after a motorcyclist died.
Collette Gibson, 55, from Lime Close, South Ockenden, Essex, was found guilty at Maidstone Crown Court in March and was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday.
She was also banned from driving for four and a half years and must complete an extended re-test.
Gibson had been travelling north on the A249 towards the Key Street roundabout in Sittingbourne when she stopped, and a car following hit her Vauxhall Zafira. A motorbike travelling behind then collided with that car, Kent Police said.
Witnesses told detectives they saw no reason for Gibson to slow down or stop on 23rd April 2022 at about 3.20pm, a police spokesperson said. Officers said the motorcyclist, a man in his 50s, died at the scene.
After the hearing, Det Con Sara Capozzi said ‘Gibson’s actions resulted in a man’s death through no fault of his own. She has consistently denied the charge as well as refuting the testimony of numerous witnesses, making her victim’s family relive this tragic incident in court. We are satisfied Gibson will now face the consequence of her actions and we hope this brings some closure to the man’s loved ones.’
This is an interesting case, based on the interpretation of the Highway code. It is not legal to stop and block traffic in the UK unless you are the police or other emergency services, for example to clear a road traffic accident or a fallen tree.
Yet, drivers and riders should ensure they leave enough distance on the road to avoid rear-end collisions and give time and space to react safely if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly. It would appear in this case that the two vehicles behind Gibson’s car did not, although they were not expecting her to stop where she did.
