Woman given suspended sentence for fatal crash

A woman has been given a suspended sentence after she admitted to causing death by careless driving following a fatal crash with a motorcyclist.

Alicja Grabska, 65, said she had pulled out of a junction in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, directly into the path of motorcyclist Bradley Roberts, 30, a father-of-two, on 31 January.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary said Mr Roberts died at the scene and Grabska, of Dogwood Walk, RAF Lakenheath, in Brandon, Suffolk, was arrested at the scene.

Mr Roberts' wife said she had lost "a wonderful man" and urged drivers to make sure they were "fit to drive" and to "look out for vulnerable road users".

In an interview Grabska said she had seen the motorcyclist, but thought she had enough time to pull out, police said.

She pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in September and was handed a sentence of eight months in prison, suspended for two years, at Peterborough Crown Court.

She was also ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from driving for two years.

Det Sgt Craig Wheeler, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This was a tragic case where a motorcyclist lost his life in a completely avoidable collision."

Mr Roberts' wife, Chelsie, said, in a police statement, that she was having to "face the loss of a vital member of our family, who provided love, care and countless memories".

"He was our teacher, our support and a wonderful man who would stop at nothing to make us laugh and to share the wisdom he'd accumulated in his life."

Their home was now "an empty, quiet house".

She said she had a keen interest in vehicles and "would research ways to improve road safety".

"Please ensure you are fit to drive, that your reactivity isn't compromised in any way and that you are familiar with the Highway Code.

"Ensure you are completing thorough observations before committing to your manoeuvres and look out for vulnerable road users.

"From someone who knows what it's like to live through the reality of the headlines, trust me, it's not worth the risk," she added.

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.