Driver jailed after his crane hit mum pushing pram

Driver Jailed for Crane Accident That Killed Mother

Kevin Miller, a 71-year-old lorry driver from Norfolk, has received a 13-month prison sentence following a tragic incident where his crane equipment struck a woman on the head while she was pushing a pram in a Cambridgeshire village. The crash occurred on September 22, 2022, on the B1050 in Willingham, near St Ives, where Rebecca Ableman, a 30-year-old NHS healthcare assistant, was fatally injured.

The Incident

Rebecca Ableman, who worked with patients facing mental health challenges at Fulbourn Hospital, was walking with her two-year-old daughter Autumn on a pavement when the crane’s unsecured grabber collided with her. The accident happened at approximately 11:15 BST as she exited a farm shop on Station Road. The judge heard that Ableman suffered severe brain injuries and passed away three weeks later.

Miller, who had been transporting scrap metal, was initially on trial in April 2025 after denying the charge of causing death by dangerous driving. However, the trial was paused as lawyers sought more time. In February of this year, Miller admitted the lesser charge of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, which was the basis for his sentencing.

Legal Arguments

“Securing the crane unit would have been the work of moments,” said Judge Matthew Lowe during the sentencing hearing at Peterborough Crown Court.

Prosecutors highlighted that Miller had driven through Willingham, where the crane boom “slewed” to the nearside, and that his failure to properly secure it constituted carelessness. They noted that industry guidelines had been “firmed up,” yet Miller had not taken the elementary step of strapping the boom down separately.

Miller’s defense argued that he had operated the crane safely for four decades without using a strap and had only realized the equipment had shifted after leaving the village. His lawyer, John Dye, described the event as an “unfathomable” tragedy, emphasizing that Miller was a “hard-working, decent man” who had no prior driving convictions.

Family Impact

Rebecca’s father, Russell, described her “final act” as instinctively pushing Autumn away. Her mother, Susann, expressed relief that the child remained unharmed, stating, “I will be eternally grateful that Autumn was unharmed.”

“Becky died because basic safety measures were not taken,” said Chris Tuczemskyi, her partner and Autumn’s father. He urged the judge to deliver a “clear message” that “safety must always come first.”

Miller’s lorry was also cited as “poorly” maintained, contributing to the risk. The judge concluded that his oversight in securing the crane was the direct cause of Ableman’s death, adding that his assumption about the hydraulics’ reliability showed a “slipshod approach” to safety.

Aftermath

As part of his sentence, Miller has been banned from driving for two years. The case serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by unsecured heavy machinery on public roads. Do you have a story suggestion for Cambridgeshire? Contact us below. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X.