A drug driver who ran over and killed a mum as she walked to work has been jailed for three years and 10 months. Jake Bolton, 36, struck Himabindu Yadla at a pedestrian crossing in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, on October 24, 2024. She died in hospital 18 days later.
Victim was on her way to work
Himabindu, who had an eight-year-old daughter, was heading to her job at a nursing home. She had taken a bus to Tramway Lane and began crossing the road on a dry, clear evening before sunset. Bolton, who had consumed cannabis edibles the previous weekend, hit her when she was three metres into the carriageway.
She suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, where she died 18 days later. In a Victim Impact Statement read to the court, her brother said those days were "the most traumatic days of our lives".
Driver stopped and called 999
Bolton, who was also on his way to work, stopped at the scene and called 999, telling the operator: "I’ve just run someone over, she was just stood in the middle of the road." When officers arrived, he provided a positive drug wipe for cannabis and cocaine. Police also found cannabis hidden in a first aid box in his car boot.
He was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit through drugs. A blood sample later showed he was over the legal limit. Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, he was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, and possession of a controlled drug.
Sentencing and family impact
Bolton pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison. He was also banned from driving for six years and four months and must pass an extended driving test before regaining his licence.
Himabindu’s brother said her death was "entirely avoidable" and that being killed by a drug driver "adds a level of cruelty that is impossible to put into words". He added: "Although the guilty plea acknowledges responsibility for what happened, it cannot undo the lasting damage caused to our family."
Detective Sergeant Joe Ghigi of Lancashire Police urged drug drivers to think of Himabindu and her daughter, saying: "A series of choices made by Bolton led to Himabindu’s death. He chose to consume the cannabis edibles the weekend before. He chose to get in his car in the days after. He chose to drive his car under the influence of drugs."
Police urged the public to report anyone they know drug drives, via 101 or 999 in an emergency.
