A 12-year-old girl was killed by a careless driver as she got off a bus on her way home from school.
David Pursglove, 35, admitted causing death by careless driving after knocking over 12-year-old Lexi McDavid at around 3.30pm on June 7 last year. The Broughton Hall Catholic High School pupil was on her way to a friend's house when she got off a bus on Princess Drive, Huyton, and ran out into the road, where she was hit by Pursglove's white Mercedes Sprinter van.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Pursglove, of Moorhey Road, Maghull, was driving at approximately 45mph at the time. The speed limit on the "busy" road – which was filled with schoolchildren at the time – is 30mph.
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Pursglove appeared back before Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, December 1, for sentencing. Prosecutor Steven Ball told the court: "After leaving the bus, Lexi ran across the front of the bus into the central carriageway and she was struck by the van, driven by the defendant, at 42.77mph. The force of the collision projected Lexi further up the road. The van screeched to a halt. The defendant immediately got out and summoned help, and the road was quickly sealed off."
Lexi was given CPR by two bus passengers before being taken by road ambulance to Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where she died at 11.09pm. In an interview, Pursglove told police he believed he was going around 28mph.
However, information gathered from two CCTV cameras and a device on the 35-year-old's work vehicle suggested he was travelling between 46 and 49mph before urgently braking in an attempt to avoid hitting Lexi.
Frank Dylan, defending, said Pursglove had just two seconds to react as Lexi ran into the road, and that it was likely the collision would still have happened even if he was driving at or below the 30mph speed limit – but added: "The consequences, however, might not have been so severe."
He said: "The defendant at every stage demonstrated real and tangible remorse. He has as a consequence of the incident lost his employment and so far as his personal circumstances are concerned he lives with his mother who is in poor health and he's had two bereavements in recent years, his father and brother. He has been a hard working man throughout his life."
He said Pursglove was of previous good character, with no convictions or driving offences. Judge Stuart Driver said: "This is a tragic case. The family of Lexi have suffered a loss that only they can know and understand. The court thanks them for their dignity in these terrible circumstances.
"This court doesn't have to make a precise finding of how fast your vehicle was going, but we can safely conclude that the van passed the bus at a speed of approximately 45mph, which is approximately 50% above the limit. It was half past three on a school day.
"The film exhibits show many schoolchildren walking home. Passing a stopped bus always requires care, but particularly at that time of day. Lexi was a vulnerable road user, a pedestrian and a child, and you were driving a large van significantly bigger and heavier than a normal car."
Pursglove showed no emotion as he was sentenced to eight months in prison, and banned from driving for two years and 10 months. Lexi's family, sitting in court, broke down in tears.
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