A POLICE motorcyclist who starred on the TV series Road Wars may have been travelling at twice the speed limit during an exercise which ended in a double death when he hit a car in Wargrave, a jury heard on Monday (January 13).
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Police constable James “Dixie” Dixon was killed when he crashed into a car being driven by registered-carer Agne Jasulaitiene, of Crowthorne, with such force that her Toyota Aygo flipped over three times, the jury was told.
Prosecutors said father-to-be Pc Dixon, 39, was killed when his police motorbike hit the car travelling in the opposite direction.
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An elderly passenger in Jasulaitiene's car, Gladys Goodwin, also died in the incident, which took place as Jasulaitiene was driving her home from a lunch which the carer had taken her to during her day off, the jury was told.
Jasulaitiene is on trial at Reading Crown Court accused of causing both deaths when she tried to turn off the A4 Bath Road onto Blake’s Lane in Wargrave, at around 1.50pm on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.
Prosecuting, Ellie Fargin said: "This case is about careless driving, about a decision of a car user to move from a main carriageway by moving right into a side road which led to a collision with a motorbike driving on the same main carriageway going in the opposite direction."
Jasulaitiene was driving at 30mph, the court heard, on the 50mph road and had been seen by a couple, Mr and Mrs Tanner, to indicate and then cancel before she slowed to 13mph and began to turn just under five seconds before the crash.
The 36-year-old later told police she had initially indicated for the wrong right turn before she realised her mistake and carried on to find Blake’s Lane.
Ms Fargin said: "Mrs Tanner said the Aygo being driven by the defendant was driving slower than would have been expected and it was causing a tail back.
"It was also seen to be braking for no reason.
"It indicated to turn right and moved towards the right side of their lane to turn into Blake’s lane. The Aygo started to manoeuvre to turn right."
Ms Fagin, describing what the Tanners witnessed, said: "They described it like a bomb going off under the car, an explosion and the car lifted and overturned."
Ms Fargin said experts had agreed on a range of speeds which Pc Dixon could have been travelling at, which were 73mph to 88mph.
The prosecutor added it was "unlikely" that Pc Dixon’s speed would have been consistent over the 350 metres up to the impact site and that he could have noticed that the Aygo was turning 1.5 seconds before he started the manoeuvre.
Ms Fargin said the jury were still entitled to convict the defendant even if they concluded Pc Dixon had been travelling at an excessive speed.
Defending, Ian Bridge said: “We submit that on that day there was nothing about her driving which was capable of real or serious criticism.
“What was exceptional was that, coming in the opposite direction with his surveillance motorbike, a motorbike designed not to be seen, was a police officer who, at the outside of the range of speeds, we say, was travelling at more than twice the speed limit.
“Because of the speed of the bike, a bike hit a car and because of the speed turned the car over three times.
"We say there is not sufficient evidence for you to reach the conclusion so you are sure that the driving was careless."
Jasulaitiene, of Talavera Close, Crowthorne, denies two counts of causing death by careless driving.
The trial continues.
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