A motorist knocked down and killed a cyclist while cutting a corner on a dark country road, Lincoln Crown Court was told.
Joseph Strong failed to see David Hall despite the cyclist wearing a high visibility jacket and having his lights on as he made his way home from work in the early evening.
Phil Howes, prosecuting on Thursday, said that Mr Hall (58) was waiting to turn right off the B1357 onto Green Lane at Moulton Seas End when he was hit.
He suffered head and chest injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The defendant was driving his Chevrolet travelling south through the village of Moulton Seas End. David Hall was riding his cycle north along that same road coming towards the defendant from round the bend.
“As the Chevrolet negotiated the bend it collided with Mr Hall on his pedal cycle.”
Mr Howes said that Strong stopped at the scene and along with other motorists tried to assist Mr Hall along with paramedics and a doctor but they were unable to save him.
Strong admitted he was “near” to the centre of the road as he took the bend but said “He came out of nowhere. I didn’t see him.”
Accident investigators who reconstructed the incident concluded that Mr Hall was stationary before turning right onto Green Lane and was waiting for Strong’s car to pass. Strong was cutting the corner on the bend and his wheels were over the centre broken white line as he was trying to avoid being too close to the edge of the road.
A survey later carried out by police revealed that over half of motorists cut the corner when negotiating the same bend.
Strong (50), of Burnstone Gardens, Moulton, admitted causing the death by careless driving on February 1, 2013.
He was given a six month jail sentence suspended for a year and banned from driving for 12 months.
Judge Sean Morris, passing sentence, told Strong: “You are a good man and a family man but you made a very bad judgement call. From the minute it happened you have never sought to blame anyone else.
“You never set out that day to take a life. You have never tried to wriggle out of this.”
Neil Guest, defending, said Strong, who works as a site manager, was a broken man as a result of what happened and was full of remorse.
He said the incident happened on a moonless night and the area was very dark.
“There was no excess speed. He was just over the line. He is a man who has dedicated himself to his family and to work.
“He is now a broken man. If he could turn the clock back he would but alas he cannot.”