Dog owner's heartbreak as Evri driver runs red light and kills French bulldog

09 October 2023 , 16:41

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Poor pooch Millie died after being hit by an Evri delivery van driver (Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

A couple have been left heartbroken after their beloved dog was hit and killed by an Evri delivery driver who went through a red light.

Michael Hamill and partner Tracy Readdin were walking their seven-year-old French Bulldog Millie in the centre of Crewe, Cheshire, when the vehicle hit the pooch. Millie, who was not on her lead, had already started to cross the road when a huge 'bang' was heard. Mr Hamill rushed over to cradle Millie as she lay dying.

Stuart Bostock, 58, was later convicted of driving without due care and attention and was ordered to pay Mr Hamill £100 in compensation at Warrington magistrates court. He was also given eight points on his licence, fined over £500 and was told to pay £828 in costs and victim surcharge.

Bostock told the court he hadn't even felt the moment he accidentally hit Millie (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Millie was killed instantly after being hit in Crewe town centre (Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The Daily Mail reports Bostock told police that he was 'blindly following the sat nav' he used to make deliveries and was not aware he had hit Millie. At the hearing, owner Mr Hamill spoke about how he has never put Millie on a lead as she had been trained to stop at the roadside by the prompt "come on Millie."

At the time of the incident, the traffic lights were red and the green light shone, followed by the beeping sound to let pedestrians cross, so the trio went to cross the road but the Evri van moved out of a side street and knocked Millie over. Bostock told the court he "felt awful" about hitting Millie, claiming he hadn't even felt it at the time.

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Mr Hamill said: "As the van shot off, I ran across the road to see Millie and I knew she was dead." The grieving couple have now set up a shrine in memory of Millie. Ms Readdin said how Millie would never cross the road without being given the go-ahead, and spoke of her horror as she heard a "thud" and saw her beloved pet "lying on the floor" as the van drove off. The heartbroken owner said she was still having "flashbacks" about the collision on April 15 this year.

Kelis Cassia Edwards