Fatal crash driver 'didn't see stop sign'
8:40am Thursday 4th October 2012 in News
The death of a motorist days before Christmas last year was caused by a Falmouth driver who failed to see a stop sign and drove into him at a crossroads in Penzance.
The accident happened on December 21 and the victim, 59-year-old Philip John Slimmon, pictured, died the following day.
At Truro Magistrates’ Court Alexander Tacchi, 27, of Spernen Wyn Road, Falmouth, pleaded guilty to causing his death by careless driving.
Alison May for the CPS said the collision occurred at 8.30pm when Tacchi, travelling from Newlyn, drove into the path of the other car which was travelling towards Penzance.
Mr Slimmon’s car, a Cavalier, was hit on the offside, causing it to rotate, mount the verge, turn over and collide with a wall on the other side of the road, coming to rest on its roof.
Mr Slimmon was thrown from the vehicle, falling beneath it, and sustained fatal injuries.
He had not been wearing a seat belt at the time.
Tacchi, who had no previous convictions, was represented by solicitor Neil Lewin who said his client, his mother-in-law and her daughter had gone to see the Christmas lights at Mousehole that night.
He was not familiar with the road and had researched the way there before leaving.
He failed to stop at the junction at the Trereife Crossorads, not having seen the Stop sign. Mr Lewin said: “He has been over and over in his head repeatedly on a day-to-day basis the reason why he did not see the sign.
“He says he cannot give any obvious reason and knows he is the cause of this accident and the death.”
Tacchi still had nightmares and flashbacks and was extremely remorseful.
“It will haunt him for the rest of his life” said Mr Lewin.
Tacchi was given a 12 month community order and told to do 200 hours of unpaid work, put on curfew on Wednesday and Saturday nights for eight weeks, pay £60 costs, and banned from driving for a year.
