A 21-year-old woman has been given a 16-month custodial sentence, suspended for 2 years, after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.
The defendant was 19 and working as a delivery driver at the time of the incident that resulted in her sentencing, which occurred on January 17, 2024 on Marine Parade in Sheerness, Kent. A 27-year-old man and his girlfriend were walking to a restaurant to celebrate the man’s successful completion of an apprenticeship.
As the couple stood on the pavement, the delivery driver, who was driving at speeds of around 60mph, lost control of the vehicle, mounted the pavement and struck them. The man’s head hit the car windscreen, causing severe head injuries. His girlfriend was hit on the legs, but not seriously injured.
At sentencing in Maidstone Crown Court on July 2, the judge explained that the sentence had been adjusted due to the defendant’s young age at the time of the offence. He ordered her to do 220 hours of unpaid work. She is barred from driving for three years, and must take an extended retest if she wishes to resume driving. She was also given a nine-month sentence for driving without insurance, to be served concurrently.
If you are accused of causing death by careless driving, solicitors at Auriga Advocates can help you prepare a defence and identify mitigating factors. Sentences can be severe when someone is seriously injured or killed in a road accident, and it is vital to get help from expert solicitors at the earliest opportunity. Call us now, and let’s see how we can help you.