Driver jailed for killing WW2 veteran as he crossed road in Fordham

A driver who hit and killed a World War Two veteran as he crossed the road has been jailed.

Alonzo Smart, 95, was on his way to do his morning shop when he was knocked down by Ricardas Prismantas on Carter Street, Fordham, in December 2019.

He suffered a serious head injury and rib fractures and died two months later, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Prismantas, 54, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

He also admitted causing death by driving while disqualified and causing death by driving while uninsured.

At Cambridge Crown Court he was sentenced to a year in prison and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Mr Smart was crossing the road with his shopping trolley when he was hit by the car, being driven by Prismantas "at low speed", police said.

Friends of the veteran said they had shown him the safest place to cross the road as he enjoyed the independence of doing his morning shop, the only task he did on his own.

In his police interview, Prismantas, of Dryleys Court, Northampton, said Mr Smart "came out of nowhere" and that he did not realise he was disqualified from driving as documents were sent to a previous address.

Mitigating, Archangelo Power said the accident was caused by a momentary lapse of concentration, and that Prismantas was "crushed" by the incident and remorseful.

After initially being discharged from hospital to a rehabilitation centre, Mr Smart's health deteriorated and he was re-admitted to hospital on Christmas Day 2019.

He died on 2 January and a doctor noted his cause of death as bronchopneumonia due to multiple injuries caused by the collision.

Mr Smart had served in World War Two as a paratrooper, took part in the liberation of Singapore and also served in Palestine and Malaya, his family said.

Sentencing, Judge David Farrell QC said: "You failed to see Mr Smart, but a careful and competent driver would have done.

"He was crossing the road and another car stopped to allow him to do so."

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