‘Hero’ mum pushed pram out of way to save toddler, family reveal as lorry driver whose loose load hit her is jailed

The truck driver who killed a mother who was walking her young child in a stroller when she was hit by loose equipment hanging from his trailer was sentenced to 13 months in prison.

Kevin Miller, 71, failed to secure his crane to the bed of his truck and instead loosely tied it to the 18-tonne disused railway track he was carrying for scrap.

During its journey on a winding road, its load shifted, causing the boom to swing outward.

The defendant’s “total disregard for safety” meant the car was left hanging precariously off to the side as it passed through Willingham in Cambridgeshire on September 22, 2022.

Rebecca Ableman, 30, was walking out with her then two-year-old daughter Autumn after visiting a farm shop when the crane hit her in the head.

Ms Ableman, a mental health assistant, was taken to hospital by air ambulance with severe head and brain injuries, but died just over three weeks later when her life support was turned off.

Her family said her final act was a ‘heroic’ act of saving her daughter’s life by pushing the stroller when she was hit.

Ms Ableman’s partner Chris Tuczemskyi, 27, a product marketing manager, told the court Miller’s death could have been prevented if he had spent just £10 on a strap to properly secure his load.

Defendant of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, He was due to appear in court in February for causing death by dangerous driving.

However, after discussions with expert witnesses and Ms Ableman’s family, the prosecution accepted the alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.

Sentencing Miller at Peterborough Crown Court today, Judge Matthew Lowe said: ‘This defendant’s failure to adequately secure the crane is the cause of Rebecca’s death.

‘Securing the crane unit would be a moment’s work. ‘This tragedy could have been prevented very easily.’

The judge also criticized the defendant’s ‘careless attitude towards alimony’.

Ms Ableman’s sisters Natalie and Christina said in a victim impact statement: ‘Her final act was to push the pram aside, take the power herself and save her child.

‘It breaks our hearts that your daughter will grow up without her mother’s presence.’

Mr Tuczemskyi said in his statement: ‘Pain, damage and suffering continues every day…

Kevin Miller, 71, pictured today, was driving with his equipment not properly secured, causing the crane on the trailer to hit Ms Ableman.

‘This tragedy affected us all, but none more than my daughter, who will grow up without a mother.’

He added: ‘Becky died because basic safety precautions were not taken… a £10 strap could have prevented this. Instead he relied on what he had always done.

‘The decision not to exercise due care ended Becky’s life. It was just luck that no more lives were lost. We live and suffer the consequences of his neglect every day.’

The court heard how Miller set off from his depot in King’s Lynn at 3.50am that morning and traveled to the Network Rail depot in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, to collect his load of scrap rail.

He left the depot at around 8.30am, heading north and heading towards the B1050 country road via Willingham as traffic was heavy on his usual route.

Prosecutor William Carter said: ‘As they passed through Willingham the explosion of the loader crane sent it flying sideways. This left him in a position where the crane bucket could be seen hanging over the side of the truck.

He said Miller “failed to adequately secure the boom on his crane, which amounted to carelessness” and “fell below what would be expected of a skilled and careful driver.”

“That’s what led to Rebecca’s death, because not securing her caused her to fall off the truck trailer and eventually went over the curb and hit the back of Rebecca’s head, causing her death,” Mr Carter added.

Rebecca Ableman in the photo with her daughter Autumn and her partner Chris Tuczemskyi

‘The route he took on the B1050 was not the route he used regularly. This meant that he was traveling on a path that was neither straight nor straight. ‘He had to go through several intersections and brake several times.’

Mr Carter told the court the crane arm was protruding outwards 30 to 40 seconds before the point of impact on the 30mph limited road.

With the crane still suspended over his trailer, Mr Miller “apparently continued on his way, completely unaware that anything untoward had happened”.

After passing through Willingham, he saw in his mirror that the crane had moved and moved aside to mechanically move it back into place.

He then continued his journey, stopping to drop off his load in March and then returning to his yard in King’s Lynn, where police were waiting to speak to him after identifying his truck from CCTV.

Mr Carter said: ‘He had not done what the Crown said was the essential precaution by attaching the boom to the trailer.

‘All that was needed was more straps that could be thrown over the boom and tightened, but he didn’t do that.’

As he was being arrested, Miller protested: ‘What happened, man? ‘I didn’t hit anyone, man.’

Autumn photo taken on her first day at Willingham Elementary School in September 2024

The defendant insisted that he always secured the crane by tying it to its load in the same way and that its hydraulic system was sufficient to hold it in place.

He also claimed that he was routinely stopped by vehicle inspectors and was never told that the winch would need to be attached separately.

But Mr Carter said: ‘The prosecution say this method of securing the crane and boom was clearly inadequate.’

The prosecutor added that the Truck Loaders Manufacturers and Importers Association launched a campaign called ‘Hitch your loader crane’ in February 2022, targeting ‘exactly this risk’.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also published guidance in July 2023 highlighting that winches should be secured separately to the load ‘to prevent uncontrolled turning’.

Experts determined that Miller’s crane was also dangerous and had defects present before the crash, making economical repairs impossible; this ‘suggests a prolonged period of little or no maintenance’.

The overload safety system was overloaded, there were cracks in the chassis and the bolts holding the winch down were in poor condition, and the stabilizers were missing “clumsily fixed” locks.

The emergency stop button was also not working and the hydraulic hoses and pipes were in a ‘terrible’ condition.

Mr Carter also said there was ‘excessive clearance’ in the turn, which could contribute to excessive movement of the loader crane during travel, particularly around bends.

Defending, John Dye called for Miller to be given a suspended prison sentence, saying he was devastated ‘by the damage caused to the Ableman family’.

He added: ‘This is an unimaginable tragedy for Rebecca’s family. It’s hard to think of a more emotional case.

‘The impact it had on Mr Miller was minor (in comparison)… He showed genuine remorse.’

Paying tribute to his partner shortly after his death, Mr Tuczemskyi, 37, said: ‘He was my light on the darkest nights, my rock when I stumbled and my best friend.

‘He made me a better person, he pushed me to be better and do better because he could see my potential when I couldn’t.’

Mr Tuczemskyi started a fundraising page on GoFundMe in memory of his partner, who worked at a mental health hospital in Cambridge, with funds going to the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Addenbrooke’s Neuro Intensive Care Unit.

She was also raising money for Autumn to explore the world and to create a memorial bench for her late mother.

He spent his first day at Willingham Elementary School in September 2024.

Miller was also given a two-year driving ban today. It will begin in six and a half months, to coincide with his expected release date from prison.

The maximum penalty for causing death by reckless driving is five years’ imprisonment.

Life imprisonment can be imposed for the crime of causing death by dangerous driving. This has been increased to a maximum limit of 14 years for offenses committed after June.