Tributes to 'beloved' mother killed by HGV driver

Tributes have been paid to a "beloved mother" killed by a lorry driver who drove through a red light.

Pedestrian Patricia Grace died after she was hit by an HGV while she was using a pedestrian crossing in Oxford Road, Kidlington, in October 2022.

The driver of the lorry, Dariusz Meczynski, 51, was jailed for three years and nine months in December.

Now Ms Grace's son, Oliver, has release a statement about his mother, describing her death as "completely avoidable and needless".

Meczynski, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving.

Oxford Crown Court heard he failed to stop at a traffic lights and 74-year-old Ms Grace, a pedestrian, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.

Releasing a statement through Thames Valley Police, Mr Grace said his mother had left home that morning to volunteer cleaning at her local Catholic church.

He explained it was "an act of kindness she had done every Thursday morning for as long as anyone can remember".

Mr Grace continued: "We don't know why Meczynski did not see her but it is clear that he must have been woefully distracted for a prolonged period as he approached the pedestrian crossing that was on red for traffic.

"In the immediate aftermath of the incident, while my mother lay on the cold road dying, Meczynski did not get out of his cab. He did not try to help or even call for an ambulance. Instead, he phoned his boss.

"This is a huge aggravating factor for the family and is just the first instance of his deliberate attempts to try and minimize his involvement to avoid justice."

Mr Grace said when police arrived to deliver the news of his mother's death to his father his life was "devastatingly changed forever".

"It is no small exaggeration to say that mum did everything for dad and they were very devoted to each other still living in the same house my brother and I grew up in," he said.

The trainee paramedic added: "We don't for a second believe that Meczynski woke up that morning with the intention of hurting anyone."

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