Lorry driver sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court for causing death of motorcyclist Rowan Day
A lorry driver has received a two-year suspended jail sentence after causing the death of a motorcyclist.
Rowan Day, 63, was travelling home from work on his motorbike when a lorry jack-knifed in front of him.
He was unable to avoid a collision and died at the scene, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
Rowan was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.
In a victim personal impact statement read to the court, Rowan’s wife and family explained how they have been devastated by his death.
In the statement Rowan’s wife of 40 years, Claire, said she felt the lorry driver, Alan Howe, had made a mistake with consequences that have changed her own life, their son’s and granddaughter’s lives for ever. She said the pain it has caused was incredible.
Howe, 55, of Thorn Close, Soham, Ely, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving part way through his trial and was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years.
He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined £1000.
The crash happened just before midday on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
Rowan was travelling home to Irnham on his black BMW 800 motorbike when an HGV began jackknifing across both lanes in front of him, leaving him no time to react.
Howe was driving a white Mercedes Actros articulated lorry on the A151 at Grimsthorpe, heading towards Bourne.
After a left-hand bend, the nearside wheels of his HGV left the carriageway going onto the grass verge.
Howe’s attempt to prevent the lorry falling into the nearside ditch resulted in the lorry jack-knifing and crossing into the path of Rowan’s motorcycle.
Tachograph data showed the lorry had been travelling at about 30 mph as it left the road. Witnesses had said the lorry was being driven in a safe and considerate manner before the crash.
