Bus driver killed woman, 75, on pedestrian crossing
A bus driver who killed an elderly pedestrian after driving through a red light has been given a suspended sentence.
Timothy Pott, 55, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Brenda Hawes, 75, by dangerous driving in the St James area of Northampton.
He was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment, suspended for 16 months at Northampton Crown Court.
Ms Hawes' husband of 55 years told the court it was "almost unbearable at times to live in our home on my own".
The court heard that Pott, of Ecton Park Road in Northampton, was driving a single-decker Stagecoach bus along St James Road at about 08:30 GMT on 26 February 2024 when he failed to stop at a red light.
The vehicle hit Ms Hawes, who was walking on a pedestrian crossing on her way to the charity shop where she volunteered.
Northamptonshire Police said she died at the scene "despite the efforts of the emergency services".
In his victim impact statement, her husband said: "I still have times when my emotions take over. I miss her, our love and companionship in the 60 years since I met her at ballroom and old-time dancing lessons.
"We continued dancing until she died – going to tea dances twice a week.
"We all miss her greatly for her love and helpfulness. She worked at the RVS shop at Northampton General Hospital for 17 years and did voluntary work at three charity shops at various times."
He said that he had decided to sell their house as it was "almost unbearable at times" to be there without her.
Alongside his suspended jail sentence, Pott was also ordered to undertake 240 hours of unpaid work and complete 10 rehabilitation days.
He was disqualified from driving for five years and will have to undertake an extended retest when the ban ends.
Det Con Lee Norton, from Northamptonshire Police, said: "No sentence will ever make up for Brenda's death and I hope Timothy Pott is aware that his driving that day failed to meet the standard required and his lapse of concentration, no matter how brief it may have been, has left a family devastatingly heartbroken."
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Pedestrian, 75, dies after being struck by bus
Northamptonshire Police
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Los Angeles police impose curfew in downtown area for second day
A night-time curfew in a portion of protest-hit downtown Los Angeles will remain in effect for at least one more night, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Wednesday. The curfew will run from 8 pm Wednesday to 6 am Thursday (0300 GMT to 1300 GMT Thursday). Mayor Karen Bass first imposed the measure on Tuesday and has indicated it could remain in place for several days. She said it was to stop vandalism and looting during protests against the expanding raids by federal agents on undocumented immigrants. Bass has stressed that the curfew area is tiny - amounting to less than 3 square kilometres in a city that spans some 1,300 square kilometres. Further protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration policies took place overnight in Los Angeles, remaining largely peaceful. Demonstrations of various sizes have also popped up in a slew of other places, including New York and Philadelphia. Dozens of protesters were arrested in the two East Coast cities on Tuesday night, with more rallies planned in the coming days. Los Angeles has seen days of demonstrations opposing Trump's hardline stance on migrants and recent deportation raids. In response, Trump mobilized 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 marines for deployment in Los Angeles, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Bass. The soldiers are arriving gradually; according to media reports, no marines have yet been seen in downtown LA. City leaders say Trump's moves are out of proportion to the protests and only inflaming tensions.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
All injured in Austrian school shooting now in stable condition
The 11 people injured in a deadly school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz are now in stable condition, authorities said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire at a secondary school in Graz before taking his own life, leaving a total of 11 people dead. According to reports, the 21-year-old suspected perpetrator, who was a former pupil, entered a classroom and intentionally targeted students. Nine of the 11 remain in intensive care units at various hospitals in the city, which is located about 150 kilometres south-west of Vienna, the company managing the hospitals said. A victim who had suffered a facial injury would require a follow-up operation, and another needed a knee operation, it added. Earlier, Graz police said that a non-functioning pipe bomb had been found during a search at the home of the deceased suspect. The gunman used two legally owned weapons to carry out the horrifying attack, according to Austrian authorities. His motive is not yet known. According to the police, a farewell letter and video from the attacker contained no clues. Austria is observing three days of national mourning following the deadly shooting and a minute's silence was observed across the country at 10 am (0800 GMT) on Wednesday. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker called the incident a "national tragedy" in a post on X, as European leaders offered their condolences. Pope Leo XIV said in Rome on Wednesday that he was praying for the victims and their families. Graz, in south-eastern Austria, is home to around 300,000 people.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
At least three killed in fire at Iran chemical plant
At least three people have been killed and two others admitted to hospital after a welding accident led to an explosion and fire at a chemical factory in Iran, officials say. The accident occurred shortly after 11am local time (07:30 GMT) on Wednesday in a methanol storage unit at the Kaveh Petrochemical Company in Bandar Deyr, a city in the southern Bushehr province, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported. A fire broke out after welding on a barge at the site ignited an explosion, Kourosh Dehghani, the provincial head of the crisis management organisation, told Iranian state television. He said firefighters had contained the blaze and were now working to cool the site. No further casualties were expected, he added. Footage from the blaze carried on state media showed large clouds of thick black smoke rising from the site, as firefighting units trained their hoses on the fire. The chemical plant, situated on a 200-hectare (494-acre) site in the Gulf region, is a key producer of methanol, making up to 2.3 million tonnes of the highly flammable chemical each year, according to its website.
