A fatal accident inquiry looking into the death of a pedestrian hit by an HGV bin lorry said it could have been avoided if the operator had not relied on a vehicle with extensive blind spots, writes Chris Tindall.
Margaret Johnstone died in November 2020 due to “catastrophic injuries” when she stepped off a pavement in Alloa just as the Iveco Stralis refuse truck began to move off.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said 58-year-old Johnstone had chosen “a bad place” to cross immediately in front of the lorry, which was operated by The Binn Group, and that the vehicle was fitted with additional mirrors that provided the driver with a greater field of visibility.
However, he also found that as a result of the height of the cab and the windscreen there were still significant blind spots around the front and nearside of the Stralis.
