A LORRY driver told police he ‘wishes he hit the deer’ he allegedly swerved before colliding with a Kidlington milkman, causing his death.

Barry Archer, 43, is on trial at Oxford Crown Court charged with causing the death of Tom Glancy, 64, by dangerous driving on July 16, 2020, on the A420 near Pusey.

Archer, of Claygate, near Esher in Surrey, has denied the offence but has pleaded guilty instead to an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving.

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However, the Crown Prosecution Service did not accept the alternative charge plea and the trial is continuing this week.

During the trial on Wednesday (July 24), the jury were read Archer’s police interviews in which he admitted he ‘wishes’ he had ‘hit the deer’ that he had allegedly swerved, causing the crash.

The Prosecution described his defence as ‘improbable at best’ and ‘a lie at worst’, suggesting instead that Archer may have been distracted or had fallen asleep.

In the police interview, Archer, who was walking for a company called Trans Haul at the time, said he started his shift at 7pm in Dunstable.

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He said he started driving at about 7.45pm or 8pm after carrying out his vehicle checks. Archer then filled the Mercedes vehicle up at a station before driving to Leighton Buzzard.

Archer then carried onto Bristol and took a break while someone unloaded the trailer. He then took another break on the hard shoulder of the M4 about 45 minutes later.

He told police he was following a SatNav with ‘audio high’.

The police asked: “Were you on the mobile phone at the time, phone calls or texts or WhatsApp messaging? Were you touching the phone?”

Archer said no.

He was asked to describe the lines on the A420, which are two solid and continuous white lines.

The defendant said: “There were white lines in the middle. It was a cats eye then a white line then a cats eye.”

When asked how many there were, the defendant said: “Thousands.”

He was then asked about the deer, he said: “It was almost like it was going to step out so I thought I would take caution so I moved out so I didn’t hit it.

“I swerved a little bit but not as much as you would in a car.”

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He said he checked his left hand mirror to turn back into his lane but when he looked forward again, he said ‘there he was’.

When asked if he hit the deer, he responded: “I wish.”

Police also asked Archer if he had fallen asleep which he denied.

The trial continues.