Woman motorist who killed mother-of-three cyclist after 'blacking out'

[FarangRed]

• Driver who escaped charges breaks down at inquest
  
• 'I was like "Oh my God, I'm in this accident. I don't understand" '
  

Tracy Johnson outside Macclesfield Town Hall where she told the inquest she could not remember the accident in which Sharon Corless died

A motorist who ran down and killed a cyclist after she 'fainted' at the wheel of her Range Rover sobbed as she told the victim's family she could not remember the tragedy.
Tracy Johnson, 36, was driving her £60,000 Range Rover Sport when she ploughed into Sharon Corless, a mother of three.
Mrs Corless, 43, a hospital worker, who was cycling with her husband, was dragged under the wheels of the car and suffered horrendous injuries.
Mrs Johnson also mowed down Mrs Corless' husband Peter, 47, who was riding on a separate bike, before smashing into another car and hitting a lamp post.
She then stumbled out of her badly-damaged car in a 'shocked and dazed' condition and said: 'What's happened?'
She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and could have faced a maximum 14 years in jail if convicted.
But earlier this year Mrs Johnson walked free from court after medical experts ruled she may have suffered a sudden reflex syncope while driving.
A reflex syncope is the medical term for a blackout or faint caused by a sudden lack of blood supply to the brain caused by a slowing of the heart rate.
The condition - which is relatively common - occurs in about half of all individuals at least once during their lifetime.
At an inquest into Mrs Corless' death, Mrs Johnson, an interior designer, broke down in tears saying she had no recollection of the collision.
The mother-of-one said: 'My last recollection was on the bridge. Then I remember being in the car, my head being back in the seat.
'I remember coming round and I remember feeling like I was in some film or something was slowed down. It was some weird drowsy sensation. I opened my eyes and the car was filled with smoke.
'I remember getting out of the car. I can't explain to you, it's like going to bed and waking up in the most horrible scene in front of you.'
She told the family: 'I didn't know my involvement. It was only when I got to the middle of the road and looked back at my car and it was in pieces and I was like 'Oh my God, I'm in this accident. I don't understand.'
'I am so sorry, from the bottom of my heart, I'm so sorry. I wish I could tell you more. I'm so sorry, I'm not lying to you. I wanted to tell you that, to explain. I was not conscious, I didn't see them.'
The inquest at Macclesfield in Cheshire heard Mrs Johnson, who was on maternity leave, was returning home from a shopping trip when the accident happened in September 2008.
Witnesses described Ms Johnson's car drifting out of its lane and accelerating down a hill before it mounting the kerb.
The car then hit the cyclists before ploughing into the back of a red Peugeot and smashing into a lamp post causing it to topple.

Victim: Sharon Corless died when the Range Rover ploughed into her while she was out cycling with her husband



Johnson was at the wheel of a Range Rover Sport similar to this one when she blacked out

Her car spun round in the impact but throughout the the accident none of the witnesses saw the brake lights come on.
Tracey Cartledge, the driver of the Peugeot, said: 'I saw this black car flying towards me. My thing was to get away from it. It was just flying towards the air at me. My reaction was to put my foot down to get away. As I put my foot down it just hit me.'
Miss Cartledge, who managed to scramble out of her wrecked car with her daughter, told the inquest Mrs Johnson was already out of her vehicle asking: 'What's happened?'
'She was hysterical really. She was crying asking what had happened. From what I saw she didn't seem unsteady at all.'
Miss Cartledge said she was cross adding: 'I said 'What's happened? You came flying at me.' She was crying, she said she was sorry.'
Mrs Johnson told police she had no recollection of the crash in Warrington, Cheshire, and thought she may have blacked out.
She said that although she had not been feeling unwell or dizzy and had never blacked out before, she could not remember the crash.
The inquest heard that despite neurological and cardiological tests, no medical cause could be found for the blackout.
Asked by Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg whether, as she had no recollection of the crash, she may have been distracted by her phone or reached for a CD, Mrs Johnson said that had she done those things she would have reacted to the intial collision with Mrs Corless and either applied her brake or swerved away to avoid another collision.
The inquest continues.


Read more: Woman ran down and killed cyclist after fainting at the wheel of her Range Rover | Mail Online

[Jesus Jones]

Sadly it does sound like a genuine accident. I'm sure if she was on the phone they could check. If your heading into an accident you automatically reach for the brakes.

Who knows?

[keda]

But earlier this year Mrs Johnson walked free from court after medical experts ruled she may have suffered a sudden reflex syncope while driving.

She may have blacked out also means she may not have blacked out, esp since neuro and cardio tests came back with no medical cause. A better tried and tested excuse that works is that she had a sneezing fit.

I'd start with her phone records.

[BobR]

Wealthy people seldom get the punishment they deserve.