Lorry driver guilty of killing cyclist at Holborn junction
Dr Marta Krawiec, 41, was cycling to work when she was knocked over and dragged under the wheel of a lorry driven by 69-year-old Kevin Allen. Allen, of Laurel Avenue, Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving but on Friday (January 12) a jury found him guilty by a majority of 10 to two. Judge Richard Marks said it was a “tragic and difficult case” as he adjourned sentencing.
The fatal incident took place at the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road in Holborn at around 9am on August 4, 2021. Allen[1], who has been a HGV driver since 1989, was in the middle of three lanes while waiting for the lights to change at the junction, prosecutor Paul Casey said. Allen explained that while he was intending to turn left and the middle lane was for straight ahead only, it was necessary for him to be in this lane as the length of lorry would have made the manoeuvre very difficult from the left lane.
Previously prosecutor Mr Casey said Allen did not indicate to turn left at all during the 45 seconds he was waiting at the lights, and only began indicating after he’d already begun his left turn. “Mr Allen’s failure to indicate in a timely fashion had catastrophic consequences,” Mr Casey said. Cyclist Dr Krawiec, who was behind and to the left of Allen’s HGV at the lights, began travelling straight ahead after the lights turned green.
She was alongside Allen’s HGV when he began turning left, knocking her off her bike and trapping her under a wheel. A taxi driver described hearing her shout “NO”, the jury was told. Dr Krawiec was pronounced dead at the scene.
She was a paediatrician at an NHS clinic in Clapham. Mr Casey told the jury there were no other factors at play during the collision – conditions were perfect, both vehicles were in good order, the HGV was only travelling at 13mph and Allen was not under the influence of drink or drugs. “The prosecution will suggest that the sole cause of her death was driver error on Mr Allen’s part,” he said.
When Allen was interviewed a few weeks later, he told police he had been delivering steel to a building site off Shaftesbury Avenue. He said he had delivered to the site on several occasions and roughly knew the roads. Allen explained that due to the length of the vehicle he would have partly entered the middle lane if he had attempted to turn from the left lane.
He therefore decided to use the middle lane to turn left. He said he had checked his mirrors and did not see Dr Krawiec, who was in his blind spot. Allen also said he had been indicating to turn left at the lights, but after being shown CCTV footage he conceded that he was not indicating before he started moving.
He explained that he thought he had been.
Allen pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving but the plea was not accepted by the Crown, who say his driving was dangerous rather than careless.
After Allen was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving he was granted continued bail until his sentencing on a date to be fixed.