An 85-year-old man whose daughter died in a car crash several years ago has told a court he has been left devastated after accidentally hitting a cyclist at Helensburgh in April this year.
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Neville James Little was driving his blue Daihatsu west along Lawrence Hargrave Drive just after 8am on April 1 when he came to a stop behind another vehicle at the Walker Street intersection.
After the other vehicle departed, Walker began turning into Walker Street when he collided with Peter Franc, who was riding his push bike along Lawrence Hargrave Drive.
Mr Franc later told police he saw Little's vehicle pull out but wasn't able to stop in time and collided with the front passenger side of the Daihatsu, sending him careering into the windscreen and up onto the vehicle's roof.
Little pulled over on Walker Street, with another driver coming to the victim's aid and contacting 000.
Meanwhile, an off-duty paramedic stopped to help Mr Franc and requested a helicopter attend the scene.
Mr Franc was subsequently airlifted to St George Hospital.
Police spoke to Little, who told them he didn't see anyone coming when he pulled out into the intersection.
"About halfway through the turn I heard a bang and saw two legs dangling in front of me on the windscreen," he said.
Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court yesterday said Mr Franc had fractures to his neck, right knee and right wrist.
He also underwent surgery to repair gashes on his lower right leg and right shoulder.
Meanwhile, police charged Little with negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
Little pleaded guilty to the charge in court yesterday, saying the accident came as a shock to him.
"I consider myself to be a cautious driver," he said.
"I thought he [the victim] was skylarking when I saw him lying on the roof. It took me a while to comprehend what had happened."
Little told the court he was all too familiar with the devastating effects vehicle collisions can have on people and their families, revealing his daughter had been hit and killed at the age of 20 by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel.
Little's lawyer asked Magistrate Gabriel Fleming to take into account his "relatively clean record", which featured some minor speeding matters, and the fact he lived in a remote area with no access to public transport.
"It's the first time he's been involved in an impact," the lawyer said.
"We're asking Your Honour to be as lenient as you can - a conviction will carry for him a tremendous sting in terms of disqualification [of his licence]."
Magistrate Fleming agreed to not record a conviction, but placed Little on a two-year conditional release order.
Outside court, Little told the Mercury he'd gotten his driver's licence at the age of 17 and had never had an accident until this incident.
"I feel really sorry about what happened to Mr Franc," he said.
Little said his own daughter's death had brought home to him the importance of being a responsible driver.
"The boy who hit her was only 18," he said.
"He was charged with negligent driving. He didn't get a conviction. My wife went up to him and embraced him. She forgave him and said 'I hope you have a good life'."
Little confirmed the RMS has not cancelled his licence.
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