Widow to sue Black Country businessman who caused death of her husband

The widow of Black Country hit-and-run victim Dave Rudge has said she finds it impossible to forgive the dangerous driver who caused his death.

Kathrine Rudge, of Hawfield Road, Tividale, is now planning to sue Clive Robinson, of Stourbridge Road, Brierley Hill, who was jailed for two years at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Grandfather-of-13 Mr Rudge died of chest pains eight days after he was discharged from hospital with a compound leg fracture suffered in the crash in Oldbury.

Police were unable to confirm how much Robinson, 47, of Stourbridge Road, Brierley Hill had been drinking before the collision with Mr Rudge’s motorbike, as he fled the scene on April 9 this year.

He later admitted he had downed two bottles of Jamaican stout.

Robinson, who runs a hair salon, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

The court heard that he had veered over to the wrong side of the road in his Jaguar in the early hours after visiting his friend.

The Judge Michael Dudley told him: “I have come to the conclusion you drove the way you did because you were too tired.”

His widow, Kathrine, said: “I find it very difficult to forgive the defendant who behaved with total disregard of my husband on the day of the collision.

"He showed not a single shred of human decency, by leaving the scene without stopping to help Dave.

"However, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the passing motorist who did stop to help my husband.

“To this day there are so many unanswered questions about the circumstances of the collision.

“We have no idea why the defendant was travelling on the wrong side of the road, whether alcohol or drugs did or didn’t play any part, or why he felt unable to hand himself into the police much earlier.”

Rebecca Hearsey, of Irwin Mitchell solicitors, representing Mr Rudge’s family, said the family remained “extremely angry” that the defendant “callously” drove off and felt they had been handed a life sentence over his loss. She said civil action would follow.

Opening an inquest in April, Black Country coroner Robin Balmain ruled that Mr Rudge, 57, died of complications linked to trauma from the crash in Portway Road, Oldbury.

He gave the cause of death as acute pulmonary embolism, following deep vein thrombosis stemming from lower limb trauma.

Mr Rudge was a team leader in the haulage department of Oldbury based Metal Sections Ltd where he had worked for over 20 years.