A lorry driver has been warned he could face jail for a horror crash that killed a 58-year-old woman.
Mark Sutcliffe, 45, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court yesterday to causing Susan Jones’ death by careless driving at the accident blackspot on Halifax Road, Cullingworth, last year.
Sutcliffe’s barrister, Philip Hackett QC, asked the judge to adjourn sentence for the preparation of a probation service report.
Mr Hackett said his client, from School Green, Greetland, Halifax, was a hard-working man in employment.
The judge, Recorder Neil Davey QC, fixed the sentencing hearing for December 13.
He told Sutcliffe: “All sentencing options, including imprisonment, remain open.”
Sutcliffe’s not guilty plea to the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving was accepted by barrister for the Crown Prosecution Service, Richard Gioserano.
Recorder Davey renewed Sutcliffe’s unconditional bail until the next hearing.
Mrs Jones, of Saddleworth Road, Greetland, died after a collision at 2pm on August 24, last year, between her Ford C Max and a heavy goods lorry driven by Sutcliffe near Flappit Quarry.
She had to be cut free from her car by firefighters and was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary where she died from serious injuries sustained in the crash.
A third vehicle, a Mercedes Sprinter van, was damaged in the incident when the lorry shed its load.
The road was closed for several hours.
At the time councillors in the area called for a safety review following the crash.
Bingley Councillor Michael Ellis said: “There has been a number of accidents on that stretch. It is a bad bend.”
Mrs Jones was a quality assurance manager for sweet factory Joseph Dobson and Sons, based on Northgate in Elland.
The road is a notorious accident blackspot with two serious accidents in September.
A woman had to be airlifted to hospital when her car spun off the road on September 20 and two women were thrown from a car after it flipped onto its roof two days earlier.
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