A 90-year-old man allegedly ran over an elderly woman twice in a Waitrose car park before driving to a garden centre, a court has heard. Patricia Jepson, 83, was pushing a shopping trolley outside the supermarket in Colchester when Colin Kirby-Green reversed into her, Ipswich Crown Court was told.
Prosecutor Jo Morris said Kirby-Green ran over Ms Jepson, then moved forward and reversed into her a second time. He then allegedly fled the scene without stopping and drove to a garden centre. Bystanders rushed to help the victim, who was taken to hospital but died nine days later on August 28, 2023.
Kirby-Green is charged with causing death by dangerous driving and an alternative charge of careless driving. He told police he believed he had pressed the accelerator and brake simultaneously, causing the automatic car to jerk backwards, and suggested the crash could have been due to a pedal error.
A police accident specialist suggested that if the driver had his rear-view mirror in the correct position, he would have spotted Ms Jepson a few seconds before reversing. CCTV footage of the incident was played in court on Thursday, prompting Ms Jepson's family to leave the public gallery.
Three psychiatrists told Judge Martyn Levett that Kirby-Green, who has Alzheimer's and other health problems, was not fit to stand trial. He will follow the hearing from home via video link. A jury has been assembled to decide whether his driving was careless or dangerous.
