WA man who killed pedestrian spared jail

A mother and the man who killed her daughter in a car accident have cried in each other's arms moments after he was spared prison by a Perth court.

Stephen Gogos, 34, was on the way to pick up his kids when he passed out from a whooping cough fit in November 2013.

His wife was forced to take the wheel and swerve to avoid traffic but the car crossed onto a gravel path and hit 20-year-old Bronwen Thurlow, who later died in hospital from "unsurvivable injuries".

The District Court heard on Wednesday that Bronwen had been walking on the gravel close to cars because major road works in Forrestdale had closed the footpath.

Gogos had been suffering from coughing fits for a month and had passed out twice before but did not tell a doctor because he was the kind of man to "soldier on".

The court heard after the accident Gogos was told he was in the late stages of whooping cough and that he was suffering from syncope, a fainting spell brought on by low blood pressure, the cause of which was unknown.

Judge Mark Herron said Gogos had failed to turn his mind to the potential risks of his medical condition but felt extremely remorseful and would carry Bronwen's death with him for the rest of his life, as would his wife.

Bronwen's mother Bev hugged Gogos and his wife after he was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence.

Outside court Ms Thurlow said there were no winners in the case.

"He's a parent, I'm a parent. If my child had done the same thing I would be there defending them," she said.

"You have to take the good with the bad as a parent and unfortunately we've got the bad."