Drivers were racing when they killed woman in horror crash
TWO young drivers were racing each other along a main road when they killed a woman in an horrific headon smash, a trial has found.
Kelly Kennedy died at the scene of the crash on the main Swansea Valley road as she drove home from work.
She was 25.
Liam Price, aged 23, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, but his co-accused, Cory Kedward, also aged 23, denied the charge – he claimed he had not been involved in racing or any kind of “competitive driving”.
However, a jury of seven men and five women found him guilty by a majority verdict following a six-day trial at Swansea Crown Court.
Miss Kennedy was killed on the evening of July 4, 2016, on the A4067 between Pontardawe and Glais – she was heading down the valley towards her home in Clydach, and travelling in the opposite direction were Price and Kedward.
After negotiating the Glais roundabout the two defendants – Price in his turquoise Honda Civic Sport, and Kedward in his black Vauxhall Astra SRi – began to race each other.
The court heard witnesses describe how the two cars were “racing side-byside” along the road at speeds estimated to be between 70mph and 80mph, with neither man seemingly wanting to “give in”.
Moments later Price, who was driving in the offside lane as he tried to overtake Kedward, slammed straight into the front of Miss Kennedy’s Ford Ka, sending it crashing off the carriageway.
The crash was described in court as a “huge impact”, which killed Miss Kennedy “instantaneously”.
Kedward, whose car was not caughtup the crash, did not stop to see what had happened but instead drove to his grandfather’s house in Ystradgynlais, where he dumped a small amount of cannabis he had on him along with his mobile phone.
He returned to the scene later that night to find the by-pass closed at the Pontardawe roundabout.
He was subsequently arrested, and in court complained about the way he was treated by police while in custody.
During his trial he denied he had been racing with Price – someone he said he knew by reputation for “driving like an idiot” – and maintained there had been nothing wrong or dangerous in the way he had driven along the bypass. However, a jury rejected his version of events and convicted him of causing death by dangerous driving by a majority of 11 to one.
Kedward, of Penycae in the upper Swansea Valley, and Price, of Maes y Ysgol, Pontardawe, will be sentenced together on Monday.