‘Emoji crash’ driver cleared

A DRIVER accused of sending ‘ cheeky monkey’ emoji messages moments before a fatal crash was cleared yesterday of causing death by dangerous driving.

A court heard Gemma Evans, 23, pictured, was ‘grossly distracted’ using Facebook and Whatsapp while driving in the dark at 50mph. Diane Price, 58, was killed outright when Evans’s Mini veered across a straight stretch of the A40 near Brecon, Powys. Police found Evans had been sending messages two minutes and nine seconds before the 999 call reporting the accident.

Evans claimed she had no memory of the accident but denied using her mobile phone during her journey to work at 7.30am on December 9, 2016. There was no evidence she was driving erratically before the crash, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard.

Evans, of Brecon, has admitted a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving and will be sentenced today.