A man who caused the death of a much-loved retired lecturer in Lancashire has been jailed.
Anthony Hindle went for a ride on his Suzuki scooter in the Trough of Bowland in May 2020.
However as his vehicle went along Hollins Lane a JCB Telehandler driven by Joshua Whittaker pulled out from a construction site into the road.
The 79-year-old retired lecturer at Lancaster University was thrown off his bike.
Despite the emergency services' best efforts he died at the scene.
Whittaker, 25 and from Higher Lane in Scorton, was found to have cocaine in his system.
He pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and under the influence of a controlled drug.
Whittaker was jailed for 42 months and banned from the roads for five years.
Sgt Martin Wilcock, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said his thoughts were with the family of Dr Hindle.
“This collision resulted in the death of a much-loved man and shows all too clearly the terrible consequences of driving any vehicle under influence of drink or drugs.
“Whittaker’s reckless actions on that fateful day has impacted on many lives – not only those who loved and cherished Dr Hindle but also on Whittaker himself and his family.
“My thoughts today are with Dr Hindle’s loved ones and all of those affected by this tragedy and I hope that today’s sentence will both give them some sense of comfort and serve as a warning to others of the dreadful consequences that can result from driving while impaired through drink or drugs.”
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