Refuse truck driver jailed for five years for dangerous driving
Thatcham widow and Hungerford paramedic speak out
A bin lorry driver who killed a popular Thatcham paramedic and seriously injured a Hungerford man was jailed for five years yesterday (Wednesday).
Adam Lipowski, aged 42, of Walmer Close, Tilehurst, was convicted in March of causing death by dangerous driving after a week-long trial, which established he was using a mobile phone at the time of the collision while driving a 15-tonne refuse truck.
The tragedy led to the death of 55-year-old paramedic Andrew Evans, known to friends as ‘Granddad Ambulance’.
The sentencing hearing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday heard that Lipwoski was driving on the A4074 towards Reading on September 11, 2013, when he failed to see a Black Subaru waiting to turn into the entrance of Oratory School in Woodcote.
He braked at the last minute, but collided with the Subaru at 36mph, killing its passenger Mr Evans.
The Subaru driver, fellow paramedic Michael Jennings of Hungerford, suffered severe head and leg injuries in the collision, while the pair were responding to an emergency call at the school.
Speaking after yesterday’s hearing, Mrs Evans said: “I no longer have a husband, no one to hold and love me, no one to smile at me and make me laugh, no one to support me physically with my disability or mentally.
“No one in the house that made it a home. Rachel has lost her dad, a dad who loved her unconditionally, even when she was naughty as a child.
“Our grandchildren have lost their Granddad Ambulance. A granddad who always played jokes on them, a granddad who played games and always insisted he won. A granddad who got them over-excited just before their bedtime.
“We as a family will never forget the most loving, caring, reliable, honest man, Mr Andrew Paul Evans. Those who knew Andy would agree with us.”
Mrs Evans added: “Stop and think before using your mobile while driving, you could kill an innocent person. Someone who has done you no harm and leaves a family devastated.”
Mr Jennings, a retired Army mechanic from Hungerford, said his injuries had made it very difficult for him to look after his wife, who requires round-the-clock care after suffering a stroke.
He said: “My personality has been changed. I’m short-tempered, lacking in confidence and I’m intolerant of my young grandchildren whereas before I would tolerate the silly little things that they do. They are four and six years old.
“Andy was a very nice man. He was a friend and colleague.
“Lipowski denied any wrongdoing even though he must have known he was at fault. Although he didn’t go out that day to cause this, he should have taken responsibility for his actions.”
The court heard Mr Lipowski hid the phone and some headphones in a bag in the lorry’s cab, claiming first that he had not been on the phone at all, and later that while he had been chatting with a friend, the signal had cut out several minutes before the crash.
He also told a jury that Mr Jennings had braked suddenly and without warning and that he had had no opportunity to stop before hitting the paramedics' car, a version of events the jury rejected.
Recorder Nicholas Goodwin QC said he had no doubt Mr Jennings was driving “lawfully and considerately” at the time of the collision and continued: “I am satisfied that the reason for this accident lies in your use of your mobile phone.
“I am sure that you were holding your phone and were either in the middle of speaking to your friend or were trying to re-establish the connection.”
Reacting to the sentence, Mr Jennings, of Priory Road, Hungerford, said: “No matter what sentence he receives, one day he will be free to rebuild his life.
“That is something my colleague and passenger, Andrew, will never be able to do.
“His family will have to bear losing him in these tragic circumstances forever. I found it quite appalling that the truck driver denied the charges from the very outset.
“He sat there throughout the trial relying on some story in which everyone else was to blame except for him.”
In a victim impact statement read to Oxford Crown Court, Mr Evans’ wife of 17 years, Sally Evans, said her life had since proved “a struggle and challenging both emotionally and physically”.
She added: “When I hear a siren I always look to see if it’s my husband, lover and best friend driving. A big part of me has died with him.”
She said the couple’s grandchildren – who knew Mr Evans as Grandad Ambulance – had been left “heartbroken” by his death.
The judge also heard from Mr Evans’ daughter, Rachel, who described her father as “my hero”.
She said: “I still find it hard to believe that my dad is never coming back. I’d give anything to have one last hug and tell him how much I love him.”
