This story came through last week. It tells how a lorry driver has been jailed for killing a 97-year old woman on a pedestrian crossing in London.
Joao Correia-Lopes had already killed cyclist, Eilidh Cairns, by driving into the back of her in 2009. At that time he was told to wear glasses to correct his defective vision – I can’t understand why he wasn’t serving a full jail term for that, but the advice to wear glasses seems to have been all that he got!
‘He was never charged with an offence of causing her [Eilidhs’s] death. Investigations found that his eyesight was poor and he should have been wearing spectacles,’ said the prosecutor.
‘His licence was endorsed with three points and a condition added that he should wear spectacles.’
After Correia-Lopes was through with his latest killing spree, police found a magnet fitted to his HGV instruments to prevent him being logged as working too many hours (lorry drivers have to take breaks by law). Apparently, he had been involved in “numerous incidents” between killing his first victim and Nora Gutman (the 97-year old in this case). Only the week before he rear-ended another vehicle.
Correia-Lopes was NOT wearing spectacles this time, either. He was jailed for 4 years – and also prosecuted for tampering with his driving log.
He’ll be out in 2 years, I’d guess.