A truck driver has been jailed for at least 18 months after he hit and killed a young woman "in the prime of her life" while she crossed a busy Sydney road at a pedestrian crossing.
Danielle McGrath's boyfriend was weeks away from proposing marriage when she was struck on her way to work at Caringbah in November 2016.
A distraught Aaron Roberts, arrived at the scene to see his 26-year-old girlfriend covered by a sheet, with her handbag and belongings strewn across the road.
In the NSW District Court on Friday, Judge Peter Maiden sentenced truck driver David William Edward Grice to a maximum of 31-and-a-half months in jail with a non-parole period of 18 months.
Grice had turned at a busy intersection despite a red arrow signal when he struck Ms McGrath with his tipping truck, which was carrying a load of about 48 tonnes.
Judge Maiden said Grice, now 60, on his evidence, didn't see the red arrow signal, which prevented him from turning, or keep an adequate lookout to his right as he made his turn.
The judge said it was difficult to understand why Grice didn't see the signal, but he accepted that he didn't.
He said it was a very difficult intersection that required drivers to be vigilant of pedestrians and other vehicles, particularly at a time of day when people would be going to the nearby railway station and school.
The court heard Grice had been psychologically affected by the collision, with his doctor saying he suffered continuing anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
A pastor at his church submitted a character reference which described him as a good person who was "suffering immensely".
The judge found Grice was a person of good character who was ordinarily cautious and responsible in respect of his duties.
He expressed admiration for the dignity and substance of Ms McGrath's family, including her father Bill and Mr Roberts who previously read emotional victim impact statements in court.
Judge Maiden said the consequences of Grice's offending would not go away for the family, who had lost "a young woman in the prime of her life".
Ms McGrath's father outside court said it was a sensitive time, and the family was "just happy Danielle had her day in court".
Grice, who was sentenced after pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous driving occasioning death, will be eligible for parole in August 2019.
Australian Associated Press
