A mother was hailed as a hero for sacrificing her life to save her daughter when a crane on a passing truck struck and killed her, a court revealed. The truck driver, Kevin Miller, admitted guilt for causing Rebecca Ableman’s death due to careless driving and has been sentenced to 13 months in prison. The tragic incident occurred as Ms. Ableman, 30, was shopping at a local farm shop in Willingham, Cambridgeshire, in 2022 when she was fatally hit on the head by the crane boom on Miller’s lorry.
During the trial at Peterborough Crown Court, it was disclosed that Miller’s loader crane had unexpectedly shifted to the nearside, hitting Ms. Ableman from behind, resulting in severe head and brain injuries that led to her death. The prosecution argued that Miller’s failure to properly secure the crane boom demonstrated carelessness in this tragic case.
On the day of the accident, Miller had departed from King’s Lynn early in the morning, collected scrap metal from a rail yard in Essex, and was passing through Willingham when the fatal incident occurred. Despite driving at the speed limit of 30mph, Miller allegedly remained unaware of the accident until later, when he noticed the crane’s movement in his mirrors.
After the collision, Miller mechanically adjusted the crane back into position before continuing on his journey. However, he was eventually apprehended by the police at his depot in King’s Lynn. Miller, in his defense, claimed he was unaware of the collision initially and assumed the crane’s hydraulics would prevent any movement.
The court sentenced Miller to 13 months in prison, with a driving ban of two years. The judge criticized Miller for not taking basic precautions to secure the crane properly, emphasizing that the tragedy could have been avoided if he had taken proper safety measures. Family members described Ms. Ableman as a devoted mother and a compassionate healthcare assistant who went above and beyond to help others. Her final act of pushing her daughter’s pram away to shield her from harm was hailed as a selfless act of heroism.
