A man who was banned from driving after a fatal crash was caught behind the wheel again by an officer who remembered the scene of the collision. Michael Ronner, 40, of Courtney Road in Kingswood, has now been jailed for eight months.
Fatal Crash and Disqualification
Ronner was found guilty of causing death by careless driving after a crash in December 2023 on the A4174 in Mangotsfield, which killed his passenger, Tyler Carley. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
However, just a month later, he was caught driving again. An officer from Avon and Somerset Roads Policing Unit, who had attended the scene of the December 2023 crash, spotted Ronner driving in Mangotsfield.
Caught by Attending Officer
When the officer stopped him, Ronner said he felt the disqualification had been "harsh". His vehicle was seized, and he was reported for driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
At Bristol Magistrates' Court in August, Ronner pleaded guilty to both offences. He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 5 November to eight months in prison and was disqualified from driving for a further 31 months.
Police Response
PC Dan Hamblin, the attending officer, said: "Having attended that awful collision in 2023, I was very aware that he had recently been banned from driving. To see him behind the wheel of a car just a few weeks later was beyond frustrating.
"To then hear him describe his disqualification from driving as 'harsh' shows a complete lack of understanding of the impact of his decisions and a lack of appreciation for the responsibilities he has when behind the wheel.
"I hope this case demonstrates our commitment to making our roads safer for everyone and our zero tolerance approach to taking action against those who shouldn't be driving."
