A 66-year-old grandad has been jailed for 14 months after killing a pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash near the M5 motorway. Gladwyn Alleyne, of Bassett Road, Wednesbury, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, October 30, after admitting causing death by careless driving, failing to stop after a road traffic collision and failing to report a road traffic collision.
The crash took place along the A41 Birmingham Road in West Bromwich at about 9pm on October 5, 2024. Alleyne was heading towards the M5 in a black Mitsubishi L200 Animal when he struck 44-year-old Jason Hicks, who had "almost reached the safety of the pavement" before being hit at more than 40mph.
Victim had two seconds to safety
Mr Hicks was "flung into the air" and landed on the ground, with shocked passers-by rushing to his aid. Paramedics and a police officer battled to save him at the roadside, but his injuries were too severe and he was pronounced dead at 9.22pm.
Had Alleyne stuck to the 30mph speed limit, Mr Hicks would have had two extra seconds to safely cross the road and would not have died, the court heard. An investigation established that Alleyne was travelling at between 42mph and 49mph in the lead up to the crash and at a "minimum speed of 42mph" at the "point of collision".
Prosecutor Sarah Slater said that had Alleyne been travelling at the speed limit "during the 5.7 seconds that Mr Hicks was in the carriageway", the victim "would have had over two further seconds to cross the carriageway". She added: "He would have, therefore, safely crossed the carriageway and on to the footpath."
Driver fled the scene
CCTV captured Alleyne getting out of his car, strolling up to his victim and then fleeing. He ditched his car and later told police he was too "upset" to stay at the scene after seeing his injured victim's body.
One witness, who was at the petrol station at the time, recalled hearing a "loud bang". The witness took down the Mitsubishi's registration plate, which allowed police to trace the hit-and-run driver following the crash.
After Alleyne left the scene, police conducted an "area search" and located the Mitsubishi nearby "half on the pavement" at 9.45pm. It had "front nearside damage", with the glass and silver trim "missing" from the "main headlight". Alleyne was arrested the next day, with officers finding the keys to the Mitsubishi in his jacket.
Previous convictions and sentencing
The court heard Alleyne had previous convictions for driving otherwise in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance, driving without a test certificate and drink-driving dating back to 2004. In 2025, he was in court for resisting a constable, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and driving without a test certificate.
Danae Larham, defending, said self-employed welder Alleyne has prostate cancer, alongside mental health issues "arising out of the incident". The defendant, who has seven children and six grandchildren, is a "family man", she said.
Sentencing, Judge Michael Chambers KC said: "The cause of this collision was speed. You have been assessed as driving at some 42mph. That clearly was grossly excessive and significant." Of Alleyne fleeing, the judge said: "By leaving the scene, you frustrated the testing of you for alcohol and you must have known that and that, in my judgement, is a grossly aggravating factor."
Alleyne was jailed for 14 months and handed a driving ban of two years and seven months.
