A SPEEDING driver who killed a pensioner after she ploughed her 4×4 into him has dodged jail.
Lisa Anderson, 37, motored into William Pender while behind the wheel of her Land Rover Discovery.
The impact sent the 75-year-old retired joiner into the air as he crossed a road outside a private school in Hamilton, Lanarkshire.
Horrified motorists raced to help the stricken OAP, who had suffered Leukemia, while others phoned the emergency services in February last year.
Two off-duty firefighters and a doctor gave CPR as he lay hurt but he later passed away from his injuries.
Lisa Anderson was found guilty of causing death by careless driving – but has avoided jail
Data from the car revealed Anderson, of Hamilton, was travelling at 46mph in the 30mph zone seconds before the crash.
The mother-of-four denied any wrongdoing and went on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court where a jury found her guilty of causing death by careless driving.
Sheriff John Speir ordered her to perform 300 hours of unpaid work and tagged her for eights months. He also banned her from driving for five years.
Neal McShane, defending, said: ‘She appears to be genuinely remorseful to Mr Pender and his family.
‘This is clearly a tragic case where a man has sadly lost his life.
‘This is a 37-year-old first offender with duties to four children, it is a case which could be dealt with by way of a direct alternative to custody.’
Anderson, who was travelling with three of her children, claimed she had swerved to avoid Pender.
In evidence, she said: ‘I tried to swerve to protect him and my babies. It happened so fast that I was confused.
‘I hoped he would run away from my car and that is why I swerved but, in my head, he had given me a sign that he was going to run.’
Asked why she was travelling at 46mph, she replied: ‘I panicked and I did go faster to get round him.’ Sheriff Speir said: ‘Nothing can equate the lasting effect on Mr Pender’s family but you have also been living with what you have done.
‘The level for custody has been passed but I can only impose it if no other sentence is appropriate.
‘I’m persuaded there is another way of dealing with this but it should not be seen to detract from the damage your behaviour has caused.’
