A prison nurse has been cleared today of killing tragic PC Phillip Pratt in a road smash.

The 26-year-old officer died after being struck by a vehicle on June 14, 2009.

He was helping to divert traffic from the A249 following an earlier accident.

Stephen Pirie had gone on trial charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The 48-year-old was also cleared of causing death by careless driving.

Today, he walked free from Canterbury Crown Court.

After taking the verdict, Judge Adele Williams commended the officers who she said had conducted a "thorough and painstaking investigation".

She also extended sympathies to PC Pratt's family, who were sitting in court.

The court had heard Mr Pirie describe the moment he saw the horror on PC Pratt's face moments before his car ran over the officer fatally injuring him.

He said he had tried swerving to miss the policeman as he ran to try and avoid the car but he tripped and fell under its wheels.

Mr Pirie, of Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, worked at the Sheppey prisons and was heading to work at HMP Elmley that morning.

He was not feeling tired and had left the M2 to join the A249 at the Stockbury roundabout, accelerating to about 60mph on the A249.

The dad-of-six became aware of a red transit behind him but said he was not sure if the driver flashed him or what he saw was the sun's reflection in the headlights.

He did not recall the driver indicating to pull out to overtake and said there was an aggressive move back into lane one.

The van was a length and a half in front and Mr Pirie did not remember seeing either brake lights or an indicator.

"It was just over a length of the van ahead and pulled in I thought a little too close.

"It seemed he exited very quickly up the slip road. It was a very flowing rapid movement," he said.

He did not see any policemen in the road ahead although he had been looking ahead and there were no distractions in his car.

And he did not remember seeing or hearing a helicopter.

"As I approached the slip road there was nothing to alert me to the fact there were policemen on the carriageway ahead.

"The transit went up the slip road and I saw a fluorescent jacket in front of me. It seemed very, very, close very, very, quickly.

"Initially I saw the first officer and was aware there was another officer.

"His facial appearance was fear, horror. There was a vehicle in his path.

"My first thought was to take evasive action and avoid him. I made an emergency braking manoeuvre but the car did not seem as responsive as normal.

"He tried to do the same and moved both left and right. He was running.

"He was gone. He had fallen on the ground and my car unfortunately went over him. This seemed to happen in a split second," said Mr Pirie.

He went to help the officer, who was lying almost in the recovery position.

He was still breathing and Mr Pirie checked his pulse but there was little else he could do.

He remained at the scene until told he could leave and said he had not given an accurate account at the time because he was in shock.

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