A driver who mowed down an elderly pedestrian and condemned him to die a ''broken man'' has been spared a prison sentence after he argued that speeding was 'something that happens'.

Businessman Arif Ali, 42, had been travelling at 44mph in a 30mph zone when his VW Passat knocked over 80-year-old Akbar Niazi as the elderly grandfather was crossing the road.

The victim was left with a broken neck following the impact and was subsequently paralysed from the neck down. He was unable to eat by himself and less than two months later passed away after choking on food he was unable to swallow.

Inquiries into the tragedy in Westhoughton, near Bolton, on New Year's Eve 2018 found that had Ali been driving within the speed limit he would have been able to slow down in time and allow Mr Niaz to cross the road safely.He also had previous speeding convictions from 2016 which left him with six penalty points on his licence.

In a statement the victim's daughter Rozanna Niazi a former lawyer and psychotherapist said: “I received a call about my dad's accident on New Years Eve. I was at a neighbour's party and everybody was looking forward to bringing in the New Year.

“I had to go outside as I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I remember being in a terrible panic and just thinking “dad” and “broken neck” being in the same sentence.

'I was in a state of utter shock and trauma. If he didn’t have the surgery, he would have died. They could only offer palliative care.

"If he hadn’t had the surgery, his prognosis would be severe disablement. We had no choice but to have this surgery, otherwise there was no hope. I had to remain as a veneer of optimisation to support my parents who were in such a dire situation.

“The following weeks were a battle. My dad was a broken person. He believed he was never going to recover as he was paralysed from the neck down. He couldn’t swallow for himself, he couldn't eat or perform normal bodily functions.

“My mother travelled everyday taking four to six buses. She became like a ghost, she is also in her 80s.

"At this point my dad was being fed through a tube because of the damage to his neck and was something he found incredibly frustrating, not being able to swallow or taste. He died sadly from choking after the nursing staff attempted to try him with solid food.

More details; [url]https://www.paxexlive.com/thread/driver-who-left-80-year-old-pedestrian-to-die-a-broken-man-spared-jail-after-defence-argue-speeding-is-something-that-happens
[/url]