Last updated at 16:38, Tuesday, 12 March 2013

A MAN out for a Sunday stroll died after he suffered devastating injuries in a road accident, allegedly caused by a teenager who had been seen driving like “a bat out of hell”.

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George Tyson, 61, from Ulverston, was struck by a road sign which had become caught up in the wheels of a car and was then flung out “like a metal frisbee”.

The Vauxhall Corsa was being driven by Jamie Skelton who, it is claimed, had gone for a “burn up”, possibly pretending to be a rally driver.

The 18-year-old, of Hill Road, Barrow, has gone on trial at Preston Crown Court where he denies a charge of causing death by dangerous driving over the fatality on January 22 last year.

Mr Tyson had been going for a walk with his son Garry near Ulverston.

Skelton, then aged 17, was driving along the A5087 coast road from Ulverston, in thedirection of Barrow.

Mr Arthur Gibson, opening the case for the prosecution, said that as Skelton came round a left-hand bend, his car went out of control.

The vehicle swerved to the left, struck the nearside grass verge, spun across the road and hit a give way sign, knocking it to the ground. Mr Gibson said: “It was caught up in the car’s rear wheels and was flung out like a metal frisbee or boomerang. It struck Mr Tyson in the face and severed a major blood vessel.

“Despite the immediate presence of a doctor Mr Tyson died at the scene.”

The defendant had passed his driving test the previous October. The prosecution suggested he had decided to go for a “burn up” along the coast road, to see what the car could do, perhaps pretending he was a rally driver.

Skelton had been to deliver birthday cards to a cousin in Roose and after driving towards Ulverston, had joined the coast road.

Two eyewitnesses who saw the car described the vehicle going like “a bat out of hell”. A doctor looking in her rear view mirror saw Mr Tyson and his son crossing the road.

Mr Tyson pushed his son towards the pavement and dropped to the ground as the Corsa passed him.

The court was told that Skelton approached the injured Mr Tyson and sat on the ground, with his head in his hands saying: “Oh my God, I’ve killed him”.

The trial continues.

First published at 16:27, Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk