Bus stop smash destroyed our lives
THE husband of a woman left seriously injured in the horror crash which killed Katelyn Dawson has told how that day ruined their lives.
Christine Crawshaw suffered multiple injuries in the smash which happened when a BMW ploughed into a bus stop on Wakefield Road, Moldgreen, in January last year.
Schoolgirl Katelyn, 15, was killed, another teenage pupil injured and Christine, 47, was also significantly injured. It emerged this week that the driver of the BMW will not face any criminal charges.
A police investigation was launched into the smash and a file of evidence was handed over to the Crown Prosecution Service nine months later.
On Tuesday, the CPS finally announced that no charges will be brought against the driver.
Now Christine’s husband Steven has spoken for the first time about the impact the crash has had on their lives.
He said he has had to quit his job to care for Christine, they are struggling financially and it has left them both distraught and depressed.
Mr Crawshaw said: “I remember that day clearly and it is the worst day of my life.
“Christine was heading off to work and I had just got up as I started later when that crash happened.
“It ruined our lives.”
Christine worked as a full-time cleaner and her husband as a landscaper. Both had to give up their jobs and they now rely on Universal Credit and PIP benefits.
He added: “Christine is in a wheelchair. She has plates in her jaw, can not kneel down and is paralysed in her hand.
“She will never work again yet she has had to go for two interviews in her wheelchair.
“The Universal Credit system is a farce and it has added to our problems and the financial strain has left us very depressed.”
As Mr Crawshaw also quit his job to care for his wife, it has meant their monthly income is now less than half what it used to be.
They have less than £400 after they have paid their rent.
Although the crash is going through insurance companies, that is a waiting game for the couple and they have to go through several assessments.
He said: “That crash has ruined the life we had.”
Announcing the decision not to prosecute, Elizabeth Jenkins, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “Following a thorough police investigation, we have carried out a full and detailed review of all the evidence in this case in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, which has included obtaining relevant medical records and seeking evidence from medical experts.
“In deciding whether the accused should be prosecuted we had to decide if the evidence was sufficient to show that his driving fell below that of a careful and competent driver.
“Taking into consideration all the material presented to us, including the medical reports, we have decided that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that therefore no further action should be taken.
“We do understand that this outcome is not what those personally affected by this incident have hoped for, during what must continue to be a terrible time for them.
“We have explained their right to appeal this decision under our Victims’ Right of Review Scheme and we have also offered to meet them in order to explain our decision in person and to answer any further questions they may have.”