Man drove BMW at 115mph before he killed two women in a head-on crash
A MAN who killed two women when his BMW ploughed into their car had been seen travelling at 115mph just minutes earlier.
Daniel Young had been spotted on CCTV driving at between 115mph and 141mph minutes before killing Caroline Ball and Margaret Collier in a crash on October 7, last year.
The 25-year-old’s BMW is thought to have been travelling at 90mph when he overtook a queue of traffic at a blind bend, crashing into a Vauxhall Corsa.
A sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on Friday, was told that Ms Ball, 63, and Mrs Collier, 59, had been travelling together. The close friends and colleagues were killed instantly, with the force of the collision pushing their car 30 metres backwards into a hedge.
The court heard Young, who had had his licence returned months earlier after a ban for speeding, initially tried to blame Ms Ball.
Laura Pitman, prosecuting, told the court Young, of Drury Lane, Dronfield, had been driving home from a night shift at Amazon in Barlborough when the crash happened on the A6135 at Renishaw at 5.35am.
Ms Pitman said witnesses saw Young’s BMW 5 Series performing dangerous manoeuvres, including overtaking a lorry at “between 70mph to 80mph” in a 40mph limit. It was caught on camera travelling at “between 115mph and 141mph”, before slowing as it reached a queue of traffic. However, he decided to overtake the queue, reaching speeds of 90mph.
She said: “When the defendant decided he was also going to overtake the other cars as well, he was nearing a blind bend. Despite this, sadly, he continued around the blind bend. He does so on the wrong side of the road.
“At the same time as he was performing this manoeuvre the vehicle driven by Caroline Ball was approaching the bend. As she goes around the bend she then would have been confronted by the BMW driven on her side of the road. She would have had no time to react or brake. They died instantly.”
Ms Pitman said Young was found to be over twice the legal limit for cannabis. When interviewed by police he insisted it was a “tragic accident” although, after he was charged, he pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
Ms Pitman said video recovered from Young’s phone showed him filming himself driving on the wrong side of the road at around 90mph in a video titled “how to beat the speed cameras” days before the incident. He had had his driving licence returned to him several months earlier after he had received a six-month ban due to a “totting up” procedure, after being caught speeding so many times.
The families of Ms Ball and Mrs Collier were in court for the hearing, while Young appeared over a video link from Lincoln Prison.
The court heard tributes to the pair, both of whom were grandmothers and worked as cleaners in Chesterfield.
Ms Ball had become engaged to her partner of 29 years, David Hague, and the two were planning on finally getting married. Mr Hague said: “There’s not been a single day in the last 10 months where I haven’t broken down and cried. If he [Young] had been as reckless with some sort of weapon he would be on trial for murder and I cannot see how this is much different. I wish that one day he will have some comprehension of the pain he has caused.”
Raymond Collier, husband to Mrs Collier, said: “I feel lost every day. The pain could never, will never, go away. I think about her every day. Every time someone mentions her I break down. Every day goes by and nothing changes she’s always on my mind or in my heart. Margaret will miss out on watching her [granddaughter] grow up, she will miss out on meeting other grandchildren.”
James Baird, mitigating, said: “I do ask that your honour accepts that this young man’s remorse is genuine and complete. He has written a letter of apology. He expresses his remorse, his realisation of what he has done. He says it has been the most difficult letter for him to both start and finish.
“He accepts that the families may not want to hear what he has to say. The letters from family members and friends speak of a positive side to this young man’s character.”
Judge Shaun Smith said:“Where does any judge begin with sentencing someone whose driving has changed the lives of so many people forever? You have no previous criminal convictions but you have a bad driving record. There must, in this case, be a prison sentence. You killed two people. Your previous convictions indicate a propensity for speeding.”
However, he added that he did believe his remorse was genuine even if it was not shown until the stage at which he was able to indicate his pleas.
He sentenced Young to eight years’ jail, and banned him from driving for 10 years, which will start on his release from prison.