A hit-and-run driver who struck a mother and dragged her 58 metres down a road while speeding at 77mph in a 30mph zone has been jailed for ten years and eight months. Reece Roberts, 27, was driving a Volvo XC90 when he hit Diane Jones, 59, as she crossed Durham Road in Sunderland on February 14. Roberts, who was already banned from driving at the time, fled the scene and hid the vehicle, leaving Ms Jones to die in the street.
Catastrophic injuries
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Ms Jones suffered catastrophic injuries, including the dismemberment of her left leg, after being trapped under the car and dragged 58 metres. Roberts did not brake or take evasive action before the collision. Prosecutor Omar Ahmad said a man walking his dog saw Roberts driving at 'very high speed' and noted the car wobbled as if not under control. An Uber driver reported being undertaken by the Volvo at high speed shortly before the crash, describing the driving as 'erratic and dangerous'.
Previous convictions
Roberts has nine previous convictions, including for blackmail and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. In February 2019, he struck a man while driving an Audi A6 at 40-50mph in a 30mph zone, fleeing the scene and abandoning the car. The victim suffered life-changing injuries including spinal fractures and a lacerated liver.
Judge Tim Gittins said Roberts 'deliberately, arrogantly and selfishly ignored that disqualification' and described him as 'a fatal accident waiting to happen, all for the pathetic reason of going out for some milk'. The judge noted that Ms Jones 'stood no chance' and was 'wholly blameless'.
Sentence
Roberts, from Sunderland, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing death while disqualified and uninsured. He was jailed for ten years and eight months, with an extended licence period of five years, and banned from driving for 20 years and one month. Defence barrister Sophie Allinson-Howells said Roberts acknowledged the suffering caused is 'immeasurable and utterly inexcusable'.
