‘Sh-t, he is going to get hit’: Witness’ fears moments before John Alldridge killed on road

A Warwick couple told a court about their fears for John Alldridge as he ‘shuffled slowly’ across a main highway on a dark night.

John Alldridge, Warwick

A Warwick woman has told a court her fears elderly pedestrian John “Jack” Alldridge was going to be hit by a car just moments before he was struck and killed by another vehicle.

The Warwick District Court was told two vehicles reported near-misses with the elderly pedestrian before a third car, a Jeep Cherokee, struck and killed Mr Alldridge.

Garth Nathan Merkle is charged with dangerous driving causing death.

He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is in its second day.

Allison Jones and her husband Ray were driving along Wood St in February 2017 when they came across Mr Alldridge “shuffling” across the road.

Mr Alldridge was crossing Wood St from near the Vines Motel, and appeared to have just stepped onto the road when the Joneses spotted him.

Ray Jones told the Warwick District Court he first noticed something on the road from about 40m away, but didn’t realise initially it was a person.

“As I was approaching the (Wantley St) intersection, I saw something moving in front of me to the left and it looked like sticks moving in front of me – but they were obviously someone’s legs,” he said.

“They were moving – I call it shuffling, short little shuffles – taking a lot of steps and going reasonably slow, I guess. Like an old person walks.”

Ray Jones said he slammed on his brakes after realising the “sticks” were a person and reported a second car beside him taking the same action.

“By the time I’d come to a stop, (Mr Alldridge) was to my right, walking in front of the other vehicle. If not, getting very close to in front of the other vehicle,” he said.

When speaking with police later, Ray Jones said after braking, he observed the car in the inside lane beside him was “almost on top of Jack”.

Allison Jones told police shortly after the collision that after seeing Mr Alldridge on the road, she said to her husband, “shit, he is going to get hit.”

The Warwick woman told the court the night seemed darker than usual, but she didn’t know why as she knew there were traffic lights erected in that area.

Mr Alldridge crossed three lanes of the highway and was almost through the fourth when he was struck by the Jeep.

Mr Merkle has sat in the dock with his head bowed for much of the proceedings and was supported in the courtroom by his partner.

One of Mr Alldridge’s sons has observed proceedings from the gallery during the trial.

The trial before Judge Dennis Lynch continues.

EARLIER: A court has been told elderly Warwick man John Alldridge was just steps from the safety of the footpath when he was struck and killed by a Jeep in 2017.

The Warwick District Court was told Mr Alldridge was crossing the highway at about 7.30pm on February 12 and had made it across three lanes of traffic and most of the way through the fourth when he was hit and killed.

Garth Nathan Merkle is charged with dangerous driving causing death over Mr Alldridge’s death.

Mr Merkle has pleaded not guilty to the charge and his trial began in the Warwick Court on Tuesday morning.

Crown Prosecutor Steven Dickson told the jury they could expect to hear from six witnesses during the course of the trial, including police officers and motorists.

Mr Dickson told the jury their main focus would be on determining whether Mr Merkle’s driving on that night was dangerous.

Barrister David Jones said four witnesses expected to give evidence were occupants travelling in cars that reported almost hitting the 75-year-old just moments before he was killed.

“There were three separate cars who all had difficulty seeing Mr Alldridge on that road that night,” he said.

Mr Jones said there was no suggestion his client was speeding, affected by alcohol, distracted, fatigued or that his view was obstructed, and told the jury they would hear a recording of Mr Merkle saying he didn’t see Mr Alldridge.

The trial is expected to take two to three days.