A lorry driver failed to spot a pensioner who was stood in front of his large vehicle in busy traffic slowly crushing him under its wheels and causing 'catastrophic' injuries, a court heard today.

Angus Petty had been sat in stationary traffic in his Volvo lorry, which had a digger on its flat-bed trailer, when 81-year-old David Corfield started to cross the road.

Before keen ballroom dancer Mr Corfield could get across the road, Petty, 24, pulled away having 'completely failed' to check it was safe.

Tragically, Mr Corfield was crushed to death by the 2009-plate heavy goods vehicle in front of shoppers in Hartley Wintney high street, Hants, at around 12.20pm on June 4, last year.

A court heard one horrified witness even had to scream at Petty to stop as it 'appeared he did not know it had happened'.

Prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn today told Winchester Crown Court, Hants, Mr Corfield had been waiting for his wife to collect a prescription from the chemist when he decided to cross the road.

It was heard traffic had been 'stop-start' in the busy high street, with Petty and others at a standstill as they waited for another driver to parallel park.

As soon as they did so, Ms Fairbairn told jurors Petty pulled away without checking, pushing Mr Corfield to the ground and slowly running over his chest, crushing him in front of horrified witnesses.

The prosecutor said: "The defendant's large goods vehicle was following a taxi and had been sat for some time in what a busy urban high street.

"Mr Corfield was waiting at the side of the road, but with the taxi and Volvo tractor unit stationary he headed to cross the road behind the taxi but in front of the defendant's vehicle.

"At the same time, a car transporter is heading in the opposite direction to Mr Petty's vehicle, stopping Mr Corfield from crossing.

"He therefore is stood in front of the defendant's vehicle. The car in front that was parking completed its manoeuvre and the taxi pulled away and, in due course, so does the defendant.

"The defendant moved off having completely failed to appreciate that Mr Corfield was in front of him.

"He knocked him down and ran over him, causing catastrophic internal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"This defendant failed completely despite a number of opportunities and pulled away without looking or without without looking with sufficient care.

"David Hamblin was driving the transporter. Initially, he has a head on view of Mr Corfield, then as he passes and then using his mirrors. Whilst looking in his mirror, he was aware of seeing Mr Corfield being pushed to the ground.

"He then saw the defendant's vehicle raise up slightly as he passed over Mr Corfield's body.

"Another witness, Denise Mullens is a driver for a car auction firm. She was delivering a car on their behalf that day. She describes the traffic as being normal stop-start traffic.

"She saw the front wheel go over Mr Corfield's chest, she rushed to his aid but immediately realised he had died. Her colleague Brian Fallon describes her screaming at the defendant as it appeared he did not know it had happened."

Ms Fairbairn told jurors Petty had a series of chances to see Mr Corfield before he started crossing the road, with him changing his mind about where he would do so a number of times.

The prosecutor added: "This is obviously a tragic case.

"The Crown accepts Mr Corfield placed himself in a potentially vulnerable position, but the prosecution say the defendant had a number of opportunities to see him.

"It's the prosecution case that a careful and competent driver should have been able to see him at various points. The Crown say he simply failed to observe, colliding with him and causing Mr Corfield's death."

Jurors were today shown three CCTV videos of the tragic incident, including a shocking clip in which you can see Mr Corfield knocked down and the front of the lorry rise up as he is crushed.

Petty, of Liss, Hants, denies causing death by careless driving.

UPDATE: Petty was exonerated by a jury on Friday afternoon.