A Bristol woman has been found guilty of causing the death of a pedestrian who was walking to a Take That concert last summer.
Fiona Hodge, 69, was convicted of causing death by careless driving after a jury deliberated for over six hours at Bristol Crown Court. The victim, 53-year-old Donna Crossman from Bridgend, Wales, was struck by Hodge's red Citroen while crossing Brunel Way with two friends on June 9, 2024.
Judge Peter Blair KC described the case as "an enormously sad and tragic case for everyone involved" and commended the Crossman family for their dignity throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutors detailed how Hodge's vehicle mounted the pavement, narrowly missing Crossman's two companions before striking Crossman and sending her over roadside railings. Crossman, who served more than two decades in the RAF and previously managed the Wales Netball team, died around midnight after her family arrived at the hospital.
Hodge told the court she had "no recollection" of the moments before the collision, describing only "an incredible jolt" followed by a sudden realization of what had occurred.
"I was then in a sudden extremely rapid sense of consequences... I was on the kerb... and in front of me were three women," Hodge testified, adding that she immediately told friends in her car: "I think I may have killed someone."
Defense attorney Ian Bridge argued that Hodge was suffering from undiagnosed epilepsy at the time of the crash, a condition neurologists have since confirmed. Bridge noted Hodge had experienced several "weird" episodes before the fatal incident but had never previously had a seizure.
Crossman's father, Steve Price, remembered his daughter as "perfect" and "adventurous."
"She was wonderful, so caring, so loving... I know everybody says that about their kids, but she really was," Price said. "She had a good life, she put a lot in, but she had so much more to give. Her circle of friends is massive and it's affecting everyone."
Hodge will be sentenced at a later date. The case has highlighted the tragic intersection of medical conditions and road safety, leaving two families devastated by the events of that June evening.