US driver had 'no idea' why she did not see biker

A US servicewoman has told a court she had no idea why she did not see a motorcyclist who crashed into her car when she pulled out of a junction.

Airman first class Mikayla Hayes, 25, was driving home to Downham Market in Norfolk from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on 26 August 2022 when the collision happened on the A10 at Southery.

Father-of-one Matthew Day, 33, died later of his injuries when his Yamaha motorbike struck her Honda Accord.

Ms Hayes denies causing Mr Day's death by careless driving.

She told Norwich Crown Court: "I still to this day have no idea why I didn't see that motorcycle."

On the day of the crash, the court heard that the defendant had been turning right out of the B1160 Lynn Road.

She told jurors: "I believe I'm a very careful driver and I kept looking for traffic both ways and I don't know why I didn't see him that day."

Ms Hayes, from Indiana, told defence barrister Christine Agnew KC she was stationed at RAF Lakenheath, working as an aerospace mechanic on ground equipment associated with jets, such as generators, heaters and tow bars.

She told the court she got her full US driving licence at 16, and - after moving to the UK - passed a written test on the highway code.

She said she had received a speeding ticket in the US for being five miles per hour over the limit, and was involved in two incidents - one when a deer ran in front of her car, writing it off, and a separate minor collision with an SUV at a shopping mall.

She told her barrister that neither collision was put down to being her fault.

Ms Hayes said she stopped driving after the collision on 26 August until May of this year, adding: "I was terrified - I had traumatic visions in my mind of driving and I do not want to hurt anyone."

She said she found the A10 junction "intimidating".

"There's a lot to look at," she said. "There's traffic coming from left, two lanes to the right, occasionally the farm track though it's very rarely used."

She told Ms Agnew that traffic on that Friday, at the start of the August bank holiday weekend, was "heavier than normal" and that she did not see the motorbike until it was "about a second [away], five to six feet in front of me".

She said there was nothing she could do to avoid the collision.

Earlier in the trial, an independent road safety consultant told the court that the junction was a "blackspot for accidents".

The trial continues.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830