A mum-of-two who killed a biker in a “nothing less than tragic” crash that was caused by a momentary lapse of judgement has left a “massive hole” in the life of her victim’s grieving family.
Naima Lightwood pulled out of a junction and into the path of motorcyclist Richard Smith, leaving the 43-year-old carer so seriously injured that he died at the scene.
She wept in the dock as details of the tragic collision on the A93 near Mains of Drum on October 25 2021 were read out in front of Mr Smith’s family.
In the wake of the collision, the 40-year-old mum-of-two sobbed to witnesses: “This is my fault” and “I think I’ve killed him”.
Accident had ‘catastrophic impact’
Returning to court for sentencing, Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Lightwood: “There’s no aspect of this case that’s anything less than tragic.
“The events on October 25 2021 had a catastrophic impact on the family of Mr Smith as well as on you and your family.”
She read victim impact statements from Mr Smith’s family which told of the “massive hole his loss has left them with” and the “magnitude of their suffering” as a result of his death.
She told Lightwood, who repeatedly wiped tears from her eyes in the dock, that it was also clear from reports and everything said by her solicitor “how much this has impacted on you and the deep, deep remorse you feel”.
Tragic biker given ‘no time to react’
Aberdeen Sheriff Court previously heard that Mr Smith, who is survived by his partner, parents, brothers and sister, had worked as a carer for the elderly.
He had been conducting a home visit on a pensioner in Drumoak and was riding back towards Aberdeen when he was struck at around 3pm.
Fiscal depute Marie Lyons said he was wearing full protective gear with reflective strips and details on his helmet, jacket and gloves.
Lightwood, meanwhile, had been at Mains of Drum Garden Centre for lunch and was driving her blue Toyota Rav4 with her mother as a passenger and a young child and 17-day-old baby in the back.
As she approached the A93 she stopped at the give-way junction, but failed to see Mr Smith’s bike, which was being driven normally and within the speed limit, and pulled out directly into his path.
“She stopped again but the offside of her vehicle collided with the front of his motorcycle,” Ms Lyons said. “Witness all speak to Richard Smith having no time to react to the accused’s vehicle emerging from the junction into his path.”
As a result of the collision, Mr Smith came to a “sudden stop”, landing on the road surface, still on his motorbike.
Driver ‘in shock, screaming and distraught’
Members of the public found him unconscious and contacted the emergency services.
A member of a medical trauma team carried out “advanced life support” on Mr Smith but tragically was unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.50pm.
Lightwood was described by witnesses as being “in shock, screaming and distraught”.
She was heard saying: “This is my fault, I know it’s my fault. What if I’ve killed? Oh no, I think I’ve killed him.”
Lightwood and her passengers were taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as a precaution but only suffered minor injuries.
A collision investigation concluded the crash was “the result of error” on Lightwood’s part.
‘She thinks about him every day’
Lightwood, a commercial adviser with no previous convictions, pled guilty to causing death by careless driving.
Defence counsel Frances McMenamin KC previously conveyed her “sincerest sympathies and condolences” on behalf of her client to Mr Smith’s family.
She said “not a day that goes by” that Lightwood doesn’t think about Mr Smith and the pain and sorrow she has caused his family.
She told the court the sun had been bright but that there were no distractions in the car at the time and that her client “simply can’t explain” why she hadn’t seen the biker.
Mum ‘can’t explain’ why she didn’t see motorbike
“For some inexplicable reason, she emerged at what was described as normal speed onto the main road having looked again both ways but somehow failing to see Mr Smith approaching until it was too late,” the lawyer added.
The court heard that the burden of the tragic incident on her client, who has since had counselling, “weighs heavy on her every single day”.
“Whatever sentence is imposed today it’s not going to bring Mr Smith back, nor will it free Mrs Lightwood from the terrible knowledge that she caused his death,” she added.
“The word tragic is very much overused in court, but it’s the only word I can think of to describe the circumstances of this case.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin handed Lightwood, of Lochside Crescent, Banchory, a community-based order comprising 200 hours of unpaid work, a six-month curfew, an 18-month supervision order and a four-year roads ban.
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