Lowestoft pedestrian death: Samantha Pitcher guilty
A motorist has been found guilty of causing the death of a partially sighted man by careless driving.
David Wright, 74, from Lowestoft, died after being struck by a car as he crossed the Suffolk town's Yarmouth Road in February last year.
Samantha Pitcher, 28, of Maidstone Road, Lowestoft, denied the charge but was convicted by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court.
She is due to be sentenced later this month.
Mr Wright's wife Pauline, who was crossing the road with him, was seriously injured, treated in hospital and has been in recovery at home since.
'Rebuilding our lives'
The court heard that Mr Wright was "virtually blind" and, although he did not have his guide dog with him, he was carrying a reflective white stick.
He had been for a family meal at The Foxburrow pub when he was hit by the car at about 21:00 GMT on 18 February.
His son Howard Wright told the court he had crossed the road with his two children when he heard a "short screech of tyres" and turned round to see his father under the car and his mother Pauline sitting in the road.
After the verdict, the Wright family issued a statement which said: "His loss has been traumatic for the whole family, especially our mother who was happily married to him for over 50 years and who was herself badly injured in the collision.
"She was in hospital for three months and had to endure multiple operations to save her legs and she will never get her old life back.
"We are a strong family and we are now rebuilding our lives, but his loss will always remain."