Taxi driver pleads guilty to causing death of man lying on road in Partick

A dad was fatally injured after a taxi driver ran him over as he lay on the road in the west end of Glasgow.

61-year old Henry Boyd was dragged underneath cabbie Joseph Walker’s car on November 25 2018 in Partick.

The 68-year-old failed to see Mr Boyd who had earlier stumbled onto the ground while crossing the road.

Mr Boyd was pronounced dead at the scene.

Walker pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing Mr Boyd’s death by careless driving.

The court heard Mr Boyd had been drinking and was crossing the road at the Deoch and Dorus pub.

Prosecutor Alasdair Shaw said: "Mr Boyd fell and ended up on the road."

It was stated that he was conscious lying on his back and efforts were made to get off the ground.

Mr Shaw added: "There were two pedestrians saw him on the ground and another car coming in the opposite direction."

"The driver tried to flash his lights to get Walker’s attention and one of the pedestrians waved at him but he kept on driving.

"While driving at 19 miles per hour, Walker ran over him and Mr Boyd was dragged under the car for a short distance."

A 999 call was made but Mr Boyd was pronounced dead at the scene.

A collision investigation after the incident determined Walker had six seconds to see Mr Boyd on the road upon approach.

Ross Yuill, defending, told the court Walker has since surrendered his taxi licence and has not driven since the incident.

The lawyer added: "He never disputes that he was responsible for this man’s death.

"He thought at that point that someone was trying to flag down his taxi

"He checked his rear-view mirror and that's the point that he didn’t react to the signals from others to stop.

"Mr Walker wasn’t expecting someone to be lying on the road and wasn’t expecting this to happen."

It was also revealed that Walker has previous convictions for speeding and driving through a red light.

Sheriff Martin Jones QC ordered Walker to do 180 hours of unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for three years.

Walker was also tagged for five months keeping him indoors between 8pm and 7am.

The sheriff said: "Despite what it says in your background report, you accept responsibility for what happened in this tragic case."

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