Graduate was killed by driver who gambled on amber light
Her parents drove past crash scene – but had no idea she was victim
A motorist rushing home for a family barbecue has been jailed after killing a young woman when he ‘gambled’ on getting through an amber traffic light.
it manager Glenn Wall, 35, ploughed into Helena thurm, 25, after undertaking another car as the lights changed and speeding across a junction.
in a horrific twist it emerged miss thurm’s parents had driven past the scene of the accident and saw Wall talking to police, but had no idea their daughter was the victim until an hour later.
As Wall was jailed for two years yesterday, he was condemned by his victim’s grieving brother for using his car like a ‘killing machine’.
manchester Crown Court had heard that graduate miss thurm was heading home after a job interview and had been waiting for the lights to change at a junction in timperley, near Altrincham, before crossing.
Wall, who worked 25 miles away in rochdale, was just a mile from home when he undertook another driver in a left-handturnonly filter lane before speeding straight across the junction, hitting miss thurm at up to 36mph. she later died from multiple injuries.
Wall denied wrongdoing and claimed miss thurm was on her mobile phone at the time. But examinations showed this was not the case and he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.
rob Hall, prosecuting, said: ‘He went straight across the crossroads and drove straight through her. this defendant was essentially gambling on an amber light.’
in a statement read out in court addressed directly at Wall, her brother, stephen thurm, 30, said: ‘Driving a car is something which some people take all too lightly, even though it can ultimately be a killing machine. Your selfish and thoughtless
‘Gambling on an amber light’
actions to get home quicker through traffic ended up taking someone’s life. You may get what i see as a very brief custodial sentence, but my family and i will have a life sentence of loss and grief.
‘Even though you were proven to be at fault it will ultimately be all of our family who pay the much heavier price.’
miss thurm, who graduated in public relations and digital communications at manchester metropolitan University, was hit by Wall on June 20, 2016, after attending a job interview at a fashion store in the city.
Judge Patrick Field QC also banned Wall from driving for two years, which will start when he leaves jail.
He added: ‘ When the lights changed to amber you sailed on without slowing. You could have stopped at the lights but you decided not to do so.’