A man from St Leonards has been jailed following a fatal collision that resulted in the death of a 72-year-old pedestrian, according to the verdict issued by Lewes Crown Court.
Gary Cornwall, 57, lost control of his vehicle and fatally struck David Evans, a resident of Hastings, who was walking on the pavement at the time. Cornwall was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.
The tragic incident occurred shortly before 10am on June 16, 2022. Witnesses described the incident as horrifying, stating that Cornwall accelerated recklessly out of the junction of Gillsmans Hill onto The Green and subsequently mounted a kerb. The sound of the screeching tyres from his BMW echoed through the neighbourhood as Cornwall appeared to lose control and drift into the pedestrian path.
While he denied intentionally drifting, Cornwall admitted to intentionally accelerating harshly out of the junction. His reckless manoeuvre tragically resulted in his vehicle colliding with Mr. Evans, who was declared deceased at the scene.
Mr. Evans’ family, grieving his loss, remembered him as a “kind and selfless” individual. They expressed their devastation, stressing how the tragic incident had greatly affected them.
In addition to his reckless driving, it was revealed in court that Cornwall was over the legal alcohol limit at the time of the accident. Although he had consumed homemade wine the previous night, he failed to realise he was over the limit. A roadside breath test and a subsequent test in custody revealed an alcohol level of 68 microgrammes (mcg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath, nearly double the legal limit of 35mcg.
Adding to the severity of the situation, the vehicle Cornwall was driving was found to be in a “dangerous” condition. Serious defects included inoperative power steering, non-functional anti-lock braking, and tyre treads below the minimum requirement of 1.6mm on the rear tyres.
This is not Cornwall’s first offence; he was previously convicted for drug-driving in 2015.
Presiding over the case, His Honour Judge Jeremy Gold KC denounced Cornwall for carrying out an “inherently dangerous manoeuvre.” In addition to his prison sentence, Cornwall was also disqualified from driving for six years and four months.
Speaking after the case, Mr Evans’s family said: “David was a dear brother, brother-in-law, uncle and great uncle, and the impact of his death on our family has been devastating.
“It is very difficult for us to comprehend the fact that David was fatally injured whilst walking on the pavement.
“But the hardest part as a family is living with the grief of knowing that our kind selfless David was taken away from us from one reckless action of an individual which could have been so easily avoided.”
Detective Constable Greg Brown, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Cornwall was in no fit state to drive a car, and this case shows the tragic consequences of his actions.
“By his own admission he accelerated harshly and lost control of his vehicle.
“He was above the legal alcohol limit, which once again reminds drivers to think carefully about driving the morning after consuming alcohol.
“Drink-driving and drug-driving are among the main factors in why people are seriously injured and killed on our roads every year.
“This case highlights our determination to catch drink-drivers before they cause such devastation to someone else’s family.”
