A young mother, Rebecca Ableman, 30, suffered fatal injuries when a loader crane boom struck her while she was pushing her two year old daughter in a pram on a street in Willingham, Cambridgeshire, in the UK. The incident occurred on 22 September 2022 as Ableman walked to a local farm shop along the B1050 road.
Kevin Miller, 70, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, who was driving the truck at the time of the incident, denies causing death by dangerous driving. Prosecutors allege that the loader crane which was fitted with a grab for handling scrap metal and left horizontal along the truck bed was not secured by ratchet straps or similar, allowing the boom to slew over the side of the vehicle on a bend.
Rebecca Ableman and her daughter Autumn
The trial at Peterborough Crown Court heard evidence from ALLMI technical manager Keith Silvester, who said: “Loader cranes have to be secured in some way to prevent the risk of movement occurring while driving on the road.” When then asked if it was reasonable to expect that with the grab attached to the load of scrap metal on board, it would have retained the boom, he responded that "this was not a safe way to operate".
Ableman sustained serious head injuries during the incident and died in hospital three weeks later. Her daughter Autumn, who was in a pushchair at the time, was unharmed. Following her death, Ableman's family released a tribute describing her as "a beautiful partner, an aspiring sister and a precious daughter."
The trial, which was initially expected to last between five and seven days, has been halted due to insufficient time for expert witness testimony. A new trial date has been set for 23 February 2026 and is expected to last two weeks.
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