Driver with sight problems in fatal bike smash

A hit-and-run driver who ignored an optometrist’s warning to stay off the road killed a motorcyclist on Christmas Day and was alleged to have concealed damage to his vehicle, Newport Crown Court has heard.

Nigel Sweeting, pictured above, was alleged to have crashed into biker David Evans while driving on the M4 in Newport. The court heard both were travelling at more than 80mph in wet driving conditions when they collided. Evans died after hitting a lamppost.

The incident, the latest in several high-profile cases over the past 12 months where drivers with defective vision have ignored warnings from optometrists, is sure to reignite the debate whether drivers should be allowed to ‘self-refer’ themselves to the DVLA.