Oundle road death jury hears how 'unusually' low sun made driving conditions 'very dangerous'

The trial of a woman charged with causing the death of a man by careless driving in Oundle has heard that the sun was unusually low in the sky and causing visibility issues for passing motorists.

Emily Saunders, 29, of Main Street, Upper Benefield, is charged with causing the death of Tom Sturgess in Glapthorn Road on January 5, 2022. She is standing trial at Northampton Crown Court.

Mr Sturgess was unloading a scaffolding truck at around 9am when he was hit by a car.

The trial began yesterday (Monday, April 23) before His Honour Judge John Head and continued this morning.

Saunders, who appeared in the dock wearing a black and white striped shirt, denies the charge against her.

This morning, witness Chloe Brassey told the court that she had been driving her car to an osteopath appointment in Oundle on the morning of the crash. She said it was a clear day, but ‘unusually’ sunny, causing her to put down her sun visor.

She told the court she turned left from Cotterstock Road into Glapthorn Road and that the street was very busy because it was school drop-off time.

Prosecuting, Ben Gow, asked her what she saw when she got to a second pedestrian crossing.

"Instantly in front of me was a scaffolding lorry. It seemed to come out of nowhere,” she said.

The lorry was parked at the side of the road and she stopped her car. She said there were people unloading the lorry and said that the sun was so bright she had to place her hand above her forehead to shield the sun.

"It was so unusual that the sun was so low,” she said.

“I’ve been driving along that road since I passed my driving test and I’ve never seen it like that before.”

She told the court that a few minutes later she had heard sirens and immediately thought of the ‘dangerous’ road conditions in Glapthorn Road.

Defending, Paul Webb, said: “What went through your mind?”

“I felt that the conditions were very dangerous when I went past and it was just an instant thought,” she said.

A second witness, Jamie Holman, said that the road was ‘chock-a-block’ and the sun was ‘glaring’ as she drove to work.

“I had my visors down,” she said.

“I was going very, very slowly.”

She said she saw the scaffold lorry in the ‘glaring’ sun.

"I could not make out any details because the sun was so bright,” she said.

"I could only make out that there was an object parked there.”

She said as she approached the truck she saw there was someone at the back of it wearing a grey hoodie.

Ms Holman added that she had been tempted to stop to tell him how dangerous it was but felt that she would herself have caused an accident because of the visibility.

Members of the defendant’s and victim’s families were both in court this morning. The defence case is expected to open and conclude this afternoon.

The trial continues.