By Staff reporter

Last updated at 16:59, Friday, 19 March 2010

A lorry driver who caused the death of a talented Cumbrian scientist in a horrific road accident has been jailed for 24 weeks.

Kate Furneaux

Kate Louise Furneaux, of Brampton, was cycling along a road in Leeds last July when she was hit by a tipper truck and dragged 30 metres suffering injuries to her chest, stomach and pelvis.

The driver, Peter McCurry of Bradford, admitted causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving at Leeds Crown Court last week.

McCurry’s eight-wheel truck hit Dr Furneaux when he turned left into a street and failed to see her in a cycle lane on his inside.

She was taken to hospital but died soon afterwards.

The tragedy happened just two weeks after she graduated from Leeds University with a PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry.

She was due to start her career at a top science research institute in Germany in September.

Dr Furneaux’s father Phil, a science teacher at Brampton’s William Howard School, and mother Beth, a former Labour Carlisle city councillor, live in Tree Road, Brampton.

They said: “In her short life, Kate’s energy and enthusiasm for life touched many people across the world.

“Beautiful and intelligent, Kate lived her life according to passionate ideals. Kate was our perfect daughter and we are very proud of her.

“We appreciate the work done by the police and Crown Prosecution Service and we are grateful for the guilty plea.”

Kathleen Robinson, prosecuting, told the court that traffic was being merged into one lane because of roadworks and was almost at a standstill.

Ronald Jones, a motorist behind the lorry, saw Dr Furneaux pass on his inside and then saw the lorry begin to turn left.

Realising she would not have had time to clear it, he immediately sounded his horn to warn the driver but it had no effect.

He continued to sound his horn and followed the lorry, which did not stop, as she was left in the road and other motorists rushed to her aid.

The road was a cul-de-sac and he positioned his vehicle so the lorry could not get back and then approached the driver about what had happened.

McCurry, 59, told him he had not heard anything and had not realised there had been an accident. A report later showed he had hearing problems.

When seen later by police officers he said he turned into the side road because he thought it was a short cut but it turned out to be cul-de-sac. He had glanced in his mirror but not seen anybody on the cycle lane.

Anthony Sugare, for McCurry, said he was deeply upset at what had happened and wanted to publicly express his sorrow to the victim’s family.

“If he could turn the clock back he would,” he said.

In addition to his prison term, McCurry was banned from driving for three years and ordered to take a retest.

Sentencing him Judge Rodney Grant said: “This is indeed a tragic case. As a result of your driving a young life was lost.

“She was a happy, well liked and brilliant young woman who had the whole of her life ahead of her.”

First published at 11:28, Monday, 15 March 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk