Pensioner who died after being dragged 650ft by a van was hit a second time, jury hears
Jurors at the trial of a van driver accused of killing a pensioner have been told how the victim was run over for a second time as he lay in a Stafford street.
Josef Moscicki is accused of hitting 83-year-old Bernard James Smith with his Ford Transit van in Burns Avenue and dragging him more than 650ft under the vehicle.
The pensioner was discovered at the junction of Shakespeare Road and Wordsworth Avenue in the early hours of Christmas Day last year by Jerzy Serwadczak and his daughter as they returned from a night out.
Speaking through an interpreter Mr Serwadczak told the jury that he was '100 per cent sure' that the defendant, aged 23, drove over Mr Smith's legs as he lay hurt on the ground.
He told Wolverhampton Crown Court while his daughter was phoning the emergency services for help he saw a white van being driven towards the scene.
"In my opinion the van was being driven in a nervous manner. He stopped about 30 metres from the body then started to move again also quite nervously. Then all of a sudden he stopped again after about 10 metres," he told the court.
Mr Robert Price, prosecuting, asked him: "Did the van stop twice?"
Mr Serwadczak replied: "Yes. He stopped completely. After the second time it suddenly started to move again and ran over the legs of the body. And then very quickly drove away down the main road."
Under cross-examination by defence barrister Mr Rossano Scarmadella also said that the pensioner was not moving, and appeared to be unconscious and was warm to the touch when they came across him.
Mr Smith, known as Jim, suffered broken arms, a broken leg, fractures to his breast bone, ribs and spine, torn ligaments and brain injury. He had been walking to his home in Shakespeare Road from Highfields Social Club.
Moscicki of Little Acres, Gorse Ride North, Wokingham, Berkshire, denies murder but has admitted death by dangerous driving.
The court had already been told that Moscicki had been staying at his girlfriend's grandmother's home in Burns Avenue.
He had gone out with his girlfriend and others in Stafford on Christmas Eve, but became separated from the group.
The trial continues.
