A motorist who crashed into a woman and killed her after being 'distracted by a spider' has avoided jail. Edvinas Gilius from Bradford said that he was trying to swipe away a spider which was dangling from the car roof while attempting to turn right a busy road junction. However, he lost control of his Mercedes-Benz C220 and crashed into the pavement and hit a woman crossing pole head-on. 58-year-old Janer Cawood was waiting to cross the road in the centre of Bradford, West Yorks, when the crash occurred. The accident happened on August 3 last year.

Janer suffered 36 injuries including fractures to her skull and brain damage. She died 13 days later after her life-support was turned off. Edvinas, a Lithuanian national had come over to the UK ten years prior to the accident. Following the incident, he voluntarily attended Trafalgar House police station and told officers that he had been distracted by a spider descending from the ceiling of his car. Woman Gets Hit in Face by Man Teeing Off On a Golf Course, Terrifying Video Goes Viral.

Then, Edvinas of West Yorks was handed a 12-month community order at Bradford Crown Court and thus escaped jail. He was asked to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Edvinas was disqualified from driving for three years and told to pay £320 in court costs. During the time of the crash, Edvinas had six penalty points on his licence for speeding offences.

In an emotional victim impact statement read out in the court by Janer's sister Sally Cawood, she said: "My sister was cheated of her retirement and the things she planned to do. Janet had worked hard throughout her life. Janet was fully fit and healthy and to see her body broken and maimed at the hospital, sent me into shock. Even though I did not see the accident, I visualise it all the time. I could not help her. I could not say goodbye.

She added, "I feel I have been condemned, losing her in such a way and to see her suffering because of someone's stupidity and lack of attention. I hope the driver recalls what he did and, as am I, is haunted by the image of Janet in distress and the suffering he has caused. He should never forget what he has done."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2019 12:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).