Exeter grandfather killed as he changed tyre at roadside
- Published
A grandfather was killed in front of three generations of his family as he changed a tyre at the roadside.
Gary Dare, 55, had pulled over to fix a puncture on a dual carriageway at Ide, Devon, when he was hit by a van.
Andrew Rogers, 33, failed to see Mr Dare as he checked his mirrors to merge from the slip road on to the A30, Exeter Crown Court was told.
Rogers admitted causing death by careless driving and was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Rogers, of Medley Court, Exeter, was also banned from driving for a year.
Mr Dare and his family, who are from Exeter, were returning from a week Cornwall on 2 March 2018.
His wife Nicola, daughter Sarah, and granddaughter Lydia-Mae were standing at the side of the road while he jacked up the rear offside wheel.
At the hearing, the Dare family made victim impact statements saying their lives had been "torn apart".
Rogers, who was carrying a load of iron ingots from Exeter to Crewkerne, was so shocked by the crash that he was seen sobbing at the scene and has since been treated for severe depression.
Police experts calculated that Mr Dare would have been visible to Rogers for 13 to 16 seconds before the accident.
Judge Peter Johnson told Rogers: "It is clear this will live with you for the remainder of your days and that is an additional punishment."
Mr Alexander Stein, defending, said Rogers had an otherwise unblemished driving record and had not been driving badly before the crash or using a mobile phone.