Van driver jailed after couple killed in crash

Terry Abson and Gina Lands, a couple from Carlisle, died in March 2021 after being struck by a van

A van driver has been jailed for causing the deaths of two pedestrians through careless driving.

Terry Abson and Gina Lands, a couple from Carlisle, were struck by the vehicle driven by Marc Large, on 1 March 2021.

A jury at Carlisle Crown Court found the 49-year-old guilty of two counts of causing death by careless driving.

Large, of Gleneagles Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for two years when he is released from custody.

The hearing heard how Large was heard screaming “what have I done?” following the crash in the city's West Tower Street.

He had been on hands-free phone call which ended four seconds after crash.

The court heard that witnesses saw the lights change to amber as Large approached the crossing.

Prosecutor Tim Evans said witnesses also reported hearing the van accelerating towards the crossing as if the defendant was “racing the lights".

In a statement read out in court, Large said: “I really can’t explain how this collision occurred as I never saw the couple until a split second before I hit them.”

'Genuine remorse'

Robin Patton, defending, said Large was an experienced driver who had shown "genuine remorse".

He said the crash was caused because the defendant was “lacking concentration for a matter of seconds”.

Sentencing him, Judge Michael Fanning, said Large had made a "conscious decision" to carry out an unsafe manoeuvre.

"I am sure your concentration was not solely on the road ahead of you," he said.

'My best friends'

Harley Abson, the victims' son said losing his parents had been "the worst and hardest" time in his life.

He said: “I've lost my best friends, my confidants, and in large parts my ambition and motivation. "

He described his father as a Sheffield-born Navy veteran, who was "kind and jolly and exceedingly friendly to all".

He said his Carlisle-born mother was "loving and creative" and used to make up bedtime stories to tell him and his friends.

"One of these she turned into a series, a continuous story she told for years, slowly building a world whose characters I love to this day," Mr Abson added.