A woman who crashed into, and killed, an elderly pedestrian in Melbourne’s east claimed she was blinded by the sun.
Katrina Parker, 37, was charged with dangerous driving causing the death of 82-year-old Magda Pashley at Ringwood East on February 28, 2019.
Police alleged Parker, a clinical psychologist who is pregnant with her second child, had been travelling between 23km/h and 28km/h an hour when she cut across to the wrong side of the road and struck Ms Pashley while turning right into a quiet suburban street.
Parker’s lawyer Jarrod Williams submitted that the accused was temporarily blinded by the sun, although argued she should have been familiar with the intersection and its requirements and Ms Pashley was “moving at a glacial pace”.
Parker wiped away tears as she appeared via video link in the County Court on Monday.
Ms Pashley’s son read a heartbreaking victim impact statement about his mother.
“Mum was a force of nature,” he told the court.
“She was an energetic, happy soul. She was determined and independent.
“We were in disbelief that anything like this could have happened to her.”
Prosecutors told the court that Parker was driving to work when she hit Ms Pashley. She was “shocked and distressed” when she pulled over about 30m from where the collision occurred and rushed to the victim’s aid before phoning emergency services.
She told other passers-by that she “didn’t see her (Ms Pashley)” because she was blinded by the sun.
Parker was arrested and returned a negative drug and alcohol test before she was charged.
Ms Pashley was rushed to the hospital where she died a few days later after suffering traumatic head injuries.
Prosecutors submitted that police drove the same route several times and replicated Parker’s journey and found there was sun glare but not enough to obscure the street’s view.
Mr Williams told the court that Parker was driving slowly and the incident was a “tragic mistake”, which was evident through her early guilty plea.
He said Parker’s partner was distressed to see her experience ongoing anxiety and worried about the health of their unborn child.
County Court Judge Martine Marich agreed that Parker was driving in a “dappled light envixjmtzywronment” (where there are partial shadows and sun) but needed to take extra caution and remain alert.
She will be sentenced in May.
