by Julia Roberts

A woman has been convicted of causing the death of a lorry driver in an M20 crash.

Nicola Pond, 21, had denied causing death by careless driving on the motorway at Wrotham Hill on February 11 last year.

But she was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday. Sentencing was adjourned for reports until July 18.

Pond, of Brewery Road, Plumstead, south east London, was at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta when she was said to have "swooped" from the middle lane and in front of the lorry in the nearside lane.

The lorry, driven by Alan Witte, struck the Fiesta before sliding across the London-bound carriageway and flipping into the air.

The Fiesta also span across the road in mid-air and both vehicles ended up down a ditch.

The jury was told that when helped out of her car after the crash Pond, who had not been wearing a seatbelt, screamed: "I have killed him."

Prosecutor Nina Ellin said there were no mechanical defects on either vehicle which could have contributed to the accident.

"She saw a pile in the field and knew he would not have got out of it," said Miss Ellin. "In her words: 'It was my fault.' She said as she approached the lorry she was sucked into it."

However, the prosecutor told the court Pond had failed to properly control her car after driving too close to the lorry and causing Mr Witte to take evasive action and swerve off the motorway.

"That led, sadly, to the untimely death of Mr Witte," she continued. "A careful and competent driver would not have pulled in front of the lorry in the way she did."

Following her arrest Pond claimed the steering went to one side and she could not correct it. She beeped her horn, hoping the lorry would slow down.