Fiona Hodge has pleaded ‘not guilty’ on the grounds of insanity
13:46, 13 Apr 2026Updated 17:24, 13 Apr 2026
Donna Crossman suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries and tragically died after being hit by a car on her way to a Take That concert in June 2024(Image: Price family handout)
A woman has denied causing the death of a Take That fan on her way to a concert in Bristol two years ago, as a trial begins at Bristol Crown Court.
A jury has heard that Fiona Hodge admits driving the car that hit Donna Crossman on Brunel Way, as she and two friends were walking along the pavement of the flyover towards Ashton Gate stadium, back in June 2024.
Hodge, a 69-year-old from Tyne Street in St Werburghs, was behind the wheel of a Citroen C1 car with two passengers on the northbound side of the flyover, when the car mounted the pavement.
The court heard it narrowly missed Donna Crossman’s two friends, but hit her – knocking her over the railings and sending her plunging down to the ground below, onto the BMX pump track beneath the flyover.
Donna, who had led an extraordinary life that saw her work at the Pentagon, and manage both the Welsh national women’s netball and rugby teams, suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries and tragically died, the jury was told.
At the start of a trial at Bristol Crown Court, Hodge pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a single charge of causing death by careless driving on June 9, 2024. In his opening statement, prosecuting Adam Vaitilingham, told the jury that they would hear that her defence would be that her car left the carriageway because she was experiencing an epileptic seizure.
She pleaded ‘not guilty’ on the grounds of insanity, which Mr Vaitingham said was an outdated phrase to use, but was the legal definition of her defence.
The jury was told that after the crash, police interviewed Hodge at the scene. “She was asked what had happened and she said ‘I don’t know why I lost my concentration… I can’t account for what had happened,” said Mr Vaitilingham.
“She was asked if she thought she had a medical condition and she replied that she didn’t, she was asked if she thought she had experienced a medical episode and she replied ‘no’, and she was asked if she lost consciousness and she replied ‘no’,” he added.
The court heard police tested Hodge for drink and drugs and she tested negative.
The jury was told they would hear from Donna Crossman’s two friends who were walking with her on the day of the incident. The court was told they were aware of the red car suddenly mounting the pavement, and it narrowly missed them but struck their friend, knocking her over the railing.
Mr Vaitilingham outlined who the jury would hear from during the trial, which is expected to last two or three days. He said the court would hear from two passengers in Hodge’s car. She and her friends had been walking in the Mendips during the day, and were returning to Bristol.
Their evidence would be that they were chatting in the car and it suddenly started drifting to the left and hit the pavement.
The court was also told it would hear from two people who were travelling in a car behind Hodge’s Citroen, who noticed it was drifting across the road before it eventually went onto the pavement. Mr Vaitilingham said the jury would hear they were concerned enough to slow down and keep their distance from the red car in front.
“The prosecution say that the most likely explanation was that Hodge was simply not driving with the level of care and attention that is expected, and that although it was not a prolonged piece of careless driving, it was enough to have devastating consequences,” Mr Vaitilingham added.
The case continues.