‘Impatient’ motorist who killed Manchester Arena bombing ‘hero’ as she plows on her motorbike as she overtakes cyclist on blind apex avoids jail

A “hero” of the Manchester Arena bombing was killed in a tragic road crash caused by a motorist’s deadly impatience, a court heard today.

Darron Coster, 54, was trying to ride the “dream” motorcycle he was considering buying when he was struck and fatally injured by a car traveling on the wrong side of the road on a country lane.

Motorist Jacqueline Higson, 65, should have ‘showed patience’ behind a cyclist but instead carried out an overtaking maneuver before the top of a hill when she could not see traffic coming in the direction opposed, it was told at Bradford Crown Court.

Mr Coster was driving carefully and sensibly but had “no time to react or see” the Vauxhall Corsa before the collision.

Judge Jonathan Rose said Higson was solely responsible for the “terrible incident” but allowed the motorist to walk out of court because of her “exemplary character” and her role as caregiver to her mother and brother .

Higson pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by careless driving. She was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, as well as 180 hours of unpaid work, 20 days of rehabilitation activities and a two-year driving ban.

The judge told Higson the damage she had caused was “irreparable” as the victim’s family had suffered “tremendously”.

He said: “The responsibility for its loss lies with you and you alone. »

Mr Coster, married with one child, was a heavy goods vehicle driver who had spent years on motorcycle display teams during an earlier career in the Royal Military Police.

He was hailed as a “hero” by the inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing for his actions that night.

Mr Coster was waiting to pick up his son from the Ariana Grande concert and used his military first aid training to treat the injured and closed the doors to protect concertgoers from trauma.

Sir John Saunders, chairman of the inquiry, said at the time of Mr Coster’s death: “I described him at the end of his evidence as a hero for what he did on the night of May 22, 2017 , and I don’t think anyone could or would disagree with that description.

The court heard Higson was driving two family members to lunch when the crash happened near the village of Wigglesworth, North Yorkshire, in July 2021.

Mr Coster had picked up the Ducati motorcycle for a test drive and asked the owner to “reduce” it so it could not go into “fast mode”.

The judge said he was “risk averse” and there was no evidence he was “in any way responsible” for the accident that took his life.

Harry Crowson, prosecuting, said Higson had overtaken one cyclist and was riding behind a second on the “undulating” country road when she attempted to overtake again before the “crest” of the road.

Until then, she had been driving sensibly, not speeding or under the influence of alcohol, he said.

“Miss Higson was on the wrong side of the road. She pulled out at a time when she couldn’t see what was coming in the opposite direction.

The victim’s wife, Alison Coster, said her life and that of her son Charlie, then 24, had been devastated by his tragic loss.

She said in a statement: “I am totally lost without my husband and have been for three years.”

“Losing Darren was and still is the most difficult and profound event that has ever happened to me in my life.”

Adding: “He was my soul mate, my life forever. I will never be the same again.

John Dye, for Higson, said she had a clean driving record and had never been in trouble with police before.

He said she was “extremely remorseful” and the accident was “on her conscience every day”.

“She is absolutely devastated,” he said.

Mr Dye said Higson made a “momentary error of judgement” and should not have overtaken when she did.

The judge suspended her prison sentence after learning that Higson had worked as a hospital caregiver for 37 years and was now the sole caregiver for her 91-year-old mother and her brother who had difficulty talking. learning.

Outside court, Mr Cotter’s sister Debra Coulson said the sentence was what the family had expected.

Wearing a T-shirt with the words “dangerous driving kills”, she said the family wanted to send a message to motorists to “think twice”.

“Be more careful, give yourself about ten extra minutes for your journey.”