Rebecca Evans killed by driver 'distracted by mystery object'

Craig John Scott told police he finished a hands-free call five minutes before the fatal crash

A driver who crashed into a car killing a pregnant mother has told jurors two hands-free calls he made behind the wheel were not to blame.

Rebecca Evans, 27, from Bridgend, was eight months pregnant when she died on the M4 near Port Talbot in 2016.

Craig John Scott denies causing death by dangerous driving.

The 53-year-old, who pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, said he was distracted by an object on a bridge prior to the crash.

The prosecution say Mr Scott failed to notice the car containing Ms Evans, her partner Alex and their two-year-old son, and crashed into it at about 70mph.

Swansea Crown Court heard he made two phone calls from his BMW while en-route to work to Baglan Bay power station on 29 November 2016.

Jurors were told the final call lasted 58 seconds and Mr Scott said he made it using controls on his steering wheel, which connected to his phone via Bluetooth.

Rebecca Evans was pronounced dead about 45 minutes after the crash

The defendant told jurors: "As far as I was concerned I made a call to my manager, I got the information I needed and there was nothing else on my mind."

When asked by defence counsel Craig Harris whether the calls caused the crash, Mr Scott replied: "Absolutely not".

The father-of-three said prior to the crash he looked left and then upwards after being distracted by an object.

He told jurors he did not know what it was, but "guessed" it might have been a reflection.

Mr Scott said he then saw the back of a silver car and remembered thinking: "I haven't got time to stop."

Recalling the moment of impact, he added: "The airbags came out... it was an almighty force."

Previously jurors heard eyewitnesses say they did not see Mr Scott's brake lights come on, despite his insistence he had braked.

The crash happened near junction 38 on the M4 as Mr Scott travelled westbound

During his cross examination by prosecutor Catherine Richards, Mr Scott accepted that 630m before the crash scene he passed a lorry doing 63mph.

Ms Richards said: "In effect, you have increased your speed marginally [from the lorry to the crash]."

Power plant manager Mr Scott replied: "Marginally."

He was also asked if he should have known there would be congestion on that section of that motorway at that time of the morning.

Jurors were told the crash happened shortly after junction 38, where the M4 goes from three lanes into two.

Mr Scott, who said he regularly travelled on that route, said he had never had problems with congestion at that time before.

Mr Scott gave evidence at Swansea Crown Court

He also told jurors he was not holding or drinking a cup of coffee, which he had bought in Cardiff, when the crash happened because it was "too hot".

Numbers were displayed on the dashboard and Mr Scott said he scrolled through them in order to call people.

He told the court it "wasn't illegal" but acknowledged when he was looking at the dashboard his eyes could not have been on the road.

He also denied using the hands-free system to make a third call when the crash happened.

Mr Scott, who is originally from Middlesbrough, was asked if he "had" to make the calls, or whether they were urgent, and replied "no" to both questions.

Ms Evans' son Cian recovered from the crash and met Prince Charles in February

The trial has heard Ms Evans was a front seat passenger in a Peugeot 407 driven by her partner Alex.

The couple were driving to drop off their son Cian - who was in the back of the car - at his grandmother's house, before heading to work at the homeless charity Shelter Cymru.

Jurors heard their car slowed down and stopped on the westbound carriageway before the crash.

Cian was airlifted to University Hospital Wales where he was found to have bleeding between his brain and skull, a depressed skull fracture and fractures to both legs.

Ms Evans was pronounced dead about 45 minutes after the crash.

The trial continues.