Truck driver acquitted after woman injured by bricks

A HGV driver has been found not guilty of causing serious injury by careless driving after a pallet of bricks fell from the back of his truck and hit a woman.

Sławomir Kotłowski, 41, was driving between Ashurt and Lyndhurst in the New Forest when the incident occurred, Southampton Crown Court heard.

The bricks landed on Chloe Evans, who was 23 at the time and was walking on Southampton Road.

On the second anniversary of the incident, the jury of seven women and five men returned an acquittal after 30 minutes of deliberation.

Miss Evans cried in court when the foreman judge cleared Mr Kotlowski of the charges after a week-long trial.

Family and friends consoled her as defense lawyer Ian Bridge told the court Kotlowski was left “completely devastated” by the incident.

Bridge said his client “wanted it on the record” that he had apologized to Miss Evans.

At the time of the incident, Mr. Kotlowski had worked for Myers Transport for 10 years and had a clean driving license.

In the testimony of the company’s owners, the court heard a description of the father of three children as “a conscientious, kind, helpful and hard-working man.”

The court previously heard from witnesses Robert Dilworth and Leon Palmer, who were traveling in a Ford van right behind Mr Kotlowski on October 31, 2022, and noticed that the rearmost strap holding the bricks was loose.

The court heard that both men tried to flash their lights, honk their horns and signal to Mr. Kotłowski that something was wrong.

Summing up the evidence, Judge Peter Henry told the jury: “Everyone certainly feels enormous sympathy for Miss Evans who has just been walking down the street and suffered serious injuries.

“It is, of course, impossible to feel anything other than great sympathy for her.”