Footballer jailed after mowing down cyclist in high-powered Mercedes while taking his daughter to piano class
24 April 2025, 14:49 | Updated: 24 April 2025, 15:31
A footballer has been jailed for 14 months after causing the death of cyclist by careless driving following a horror collision.
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Mansfield Town striker, Lucas Akins, 36, was found guilty of death by careless driving after he ploughed his Mercedes G350 into cyclist Adrian Daniel in Huddersfield in 2022.
Appearing at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday, Akins had previously plead guilty to death by careless of inconsiderate driving.
The cyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries following the crash on March 17, 2022.
He died in hospital from his injuries ten days later.
Speaking in court, Savanna Daniel, Adrian's wife, explained how her life "changed forever" following his death.
She was made aware of the incident after a computer on his bike automatically contacted her to say she was Adrian's emergency contact.
The mum added: "I was told the adrenaline junkie I knew and loved wasn't coming back. On Sunday 27th, Adrian passed.
"Since that day, it has been like hell and a nightmare I'm not waking up from...I know it's happened, I'm not living in a fairytale but it was avoidable.
"I was unable to talk about Adrian without falling apart. I was angry with him for leaving us...I was angry because there was no reason for Adrian to leave us that day.
"This was too simple a collision to take his life."
The footballer was taking his daughter to piano class at the time of the crash, colliding with Mr Daniel after he failed to give way at the crossing on Huddersfield Road.
Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said: "Traffic is obliged to give way at Huddersfield Road, which is what the defendant should have done.
"He intended to turn right into Huddersfield Road…The defendant didn't give way at a give way sign. There is no stop sign or white line at that junction but there is an obligation to give way.
"The defendant on the footage, albeit was driving slowly, pulled out at the give way junction and struck Adrian Daniel.
"It was too late for Adrian Daniel to brake and he suffered a catastrophic head injury."
