A man was jailed after ignoring warnings from doctors not to drive and knocking down and killing a pedestrian – after having an epileptic fit behind the wheel.
Stuart Lusher, 56, was driving a Mazda SUV when he stopped at a red light and had a an epileptic seizure, causing him to slam on the accelerator.
He mounted the pavement and ploughed into 48-year-old Phil Westnott from behind, trapping him under the heavy vehicle.
A court heard how Phil suffered a catastrophic head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene after the incident on June 27 last year, in Merton, south west London.
A police investigation established that Lusher, of Sutton, south west London, had a history of epilepsy and chronic sleep apnoea, and had ignored numerous medical warnings not to drive.
Despite these warnings he had driven his wife’s car to visit her in hospital where she gravely ill.
Lusher pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday to causing death by dangerous driving.
He was jailed for three-and-a-half years, and received a life ban from driving.
Detective Sergeant Jeff Edwards said: “I must firstly pay tribute to the family of Mr Westnott for their dignity and courage during this difficult investigation.
“Mr Lusher’s decision to drive, despite warnings from medical staff, resulted in a terrible collision that cost an innocent man his life.
“The consequences of that day have resulted in an innocent man losing a life and now Mr Lusher losing his liberty.”