Woman who killed boy, 7, as she chatted on phone at the wheel escapes with fine
A DRIVER who ran down and killed a boy of seven as she chatted on her mobile phone has dodged jail. Amy Asker, who hit Seth Dixon when he was crossing the road near his home, was given a fine and points instead.
The 33-year-old mother had wedged her phone into the pocket of the driver’s door and used its loudspeaker mode to make seven calls before the crash.
The records of these were deleted – an act she claimed to know nothing about.
Although initially charged with dangerous driving she eventually admitted the lesser offence of careless driving. Magistrates fined her £90 with five penalty points. Details of her sentencing emerged at an inquest where the coroner said her phone call to a friend contributed to Seth’s death. His mother, Alice Husband, yesterday stopped short of condemning the punishment, saying she had forgiven Asker. She said Asker would be ‘serving a sentence in her own mind for the rest of her life’.
Seth was hit by Asker’s Ford Mondeo while posting a letter in Tydd Gote, near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, on December 5, 2014.
He was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital where he died of head injuries six days before Christmas.
Miss Husband, who is a full-time carer to one of her two older sons, said: ‘It was the worst day of my life and I will never forget my amazing son. He didn’t deserve to lose his life in such a tragic way.
‘He popped out to post a letter for me, it was get- ting dark and he was small for his age so she [Asker] may not have seen him.’ Asker was sentenced last year at Lincoln Magistrates Court.
The inquest in Boston on Wednesday heard she was travelling at 27mph in a 30mph zone when she hit Seth, who was known as Smiler because of his sunny nature. Giving evidence, she said: ‘I did not see him. I could not do anything.’
Recording a narrative verdict, Coroner Paul Cooper said: ‘I believe her using the phone while driving contributed to the child’s death.’
Using a handheld phone while driving or stopped with the engine on has been illegal since 2003.
Asker refused to comment yesterday after arriving at her £150,000 home in Clenchwarton, Norfolk, in a Range Rover Evoque carrying three children.