A motorist on trial accused of causing the death of a motorcyclist has denied she saw him before she tried to turn off the A140.
Lynne Warden, 75, of Steggles Drive, Roydon, has pleaded not guilty to causing death by careless driving after the crash at Dickleburgh on January 10, 2020.
Norwich Crown Court has heard the retired college lecturer had stopped before crossing the on-coming carriageway into Moor Road ahead of traffic including cars and a lorry that had been overtaken by a motorcyclist.
David Clarke, 56, of Cross Street, Eye, died after his BMW motorbike collided with the rear of her Ford C-Max car.
Giving evidence Warden said she had been returning from a regular trip to a gym in Norwich when she decided to turn off the A140 into Moor Road which she used as a regular shortcut to Diss.
The jury of 10 women and two men heard she had stopped in a right turn slip lane and indicated to turn right before setting off after “checking and double checking” it was safe.
She said: “I had just nudged to make my manoeuvre, I hadn’t gone very far at all, when there was an almighty crash into the back of the car at which point I just closed my eyes. I think automatically it was such a shock.
“The glass all came in and it was just utter disbelief because I had watched the cars coming towards me.”
She added: “I couldn’t understand what had happened because the cars were still in view. I couldn’t understand where another car had come from.”
Asked by defence counsel Jude Durr when she had first become aware of the motorcycle she said it had been after the crash, lying on the opposite carriageway.
“I was totally bewildered,” she added.
Stephen Spence, prosecuting, questioned why she had failed to spot Mr Clarke’s motorbike before the crash on a straight section of road where he had carried out a number of overtaking moves that would have been in her view.
“I didn’t see him, that's all that I can say,” she said.
Asked if she’d had a doubt in her mind before making the turn that led to the crash, she replied: “No.”
The trial continues.
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