Driver who hit and killed dog walker found not guilty of causing death by careless driving

A university student who hit and killed a dog walker with her car has been found not guilty of causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving. She sobbed in court as she told the jury she had simply failed to see the woman. Megan Jones, 22, said she and her dad had been discussing racoons in the moments leading up to the collision, but she said she had not been distracted. Jones hit Julia Pritchard as she crossed Boulevard de Villenave d'Ornon in Bridgend at around 5.30am on September 15, 2023. Ms Jones was 19 at the time of the crash and had been on the way to drop her dad off at Bridgend train station for work. The previous day, Jones had returned home from a holiday to Florida with her partner and his family. They had got back around lunchtime and she told a trial at Cardiff Crown Court she had slept for most of the flight and the journey back from Heathrow Airport. She said she went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 4.55am. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . In a subsequent police interview she recalled having left her home in her Citroen C1 at 5.15am to take her dad to the train station as she had done frequently during her four-month break from university. They stopped at the Texaco Tondu garage to get some drinks and snacks for her dad's journey. She bought a hot chocolate and her dad got a coffee. The court heard that 0.4 miles from the train station, Jones struck Ms Pritchard who was walking with her dog and a blue stroller. The court heard Jones was changing lanes after exiting a roundabout just seconds before she struck the victim. She said: "It happened almost immediately. There was like a couple of seconds." The court heard Jones got out of her car to discover 5ft 1ins Ms Pritchard lying on the floor before she dialled 999 and stayed with the victim. Jones said: "Her clothing was very dark. She was very small. At first I thought it was a small child." Ms Pritchard was taken to the University Hospital of Wales where she received treatment for "various significant injuries". Four days later, on September 19, she was pronounced dead. Ms Jones, of Heol Llansantffraid, Sarn, Bridgend, was acquitted on Thursday by the jury of causing death by careless/inconsiderate driving 50 minutes after retiring to consider their verdict. The case against Ms Jones was discharged by Judge Christopher Felstead and she was free to leave the dock. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice .