Fatal driver Elemer Dobak escapes prison sentence after pedestrian crossing accident in which Joan McCaskill died

An elderly driver who struck a pedestrian while running a red light in western Adelaide last year, causing the death of a pedestrian, has been given a suspended sentence.

Elemer Dobak, 88, was sentenced in the District Court in South Australia on Monday after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with the road traffic accident that killed 85-year-old Joan McCaskill last February.

In passing sentence, Judge Liesl Kudelka Dobak stated that Mrs McCaskill's death was his sole fault because he failed to stop at a red light.

The court heard that Dobak drove through a pedestrian crossing on Woodville Road at the corner of Woodville South, seven seconds after the traffic light turned red and four seconds after Ms McCaskill began to cross the road.

She died in hospital a week after the collision.

In earlier sentencing, the court heard that the cause of Ms McCaskill's death had caused “incredible pain, tears and suffering” to her family and friends.

Judge Kudelka said Dobak had written a formal apology to her family members, expressing her “deep remorse” for what had happened.

“You say there are no words to express your sorrow and regret,” Judge Kudelka said.

“I accept that you are genuinely sorry for missing the traffic lights… I accept that the gravity of the situation weighs on you and that you think about this moment every day.

Judge Kudelka said Dobak's offence did not constitute a “deliberate act of dangerous driving” and was at the lower level of severity of its kind.

She sentenced him to two years and three months in prison, suspended for one year and nine months.

The sentence was suspended after Dobak was given a two-year suspended sentence and his driving license was revoked for ten years.

“The circumstances of your offence which give me good reason to impose a suspended sentence include, in addition to gross negligence, your personal circumstances, which include your age and your otherwise good character,” said Judge Kudelka.

Family wants to lobby the government'

Outside the courtroom, Ms McCaskill's daughter Carmel Ball said her family had “mixed feelings” about the sentence.

“Some of the family would have liked more justice. Some of us were a little more compassionate because of his age,” she said.

Ms McCaskill said she would write to the state government demanding stricter testing requirements for older drivers in an attempt to make some sense of the tragedy.

“Some of us will be lobbying the government to look at some of the strategies,” she said.

“I just want to make mom proud. So if there's anything we can do, we'll do it.”