A 96-year-old woman found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving after her vehicle mounted the pavement and resulted in the death of a pedestrian has received a suspended sentence.
June Mills, utilising a wheelchair during her appearance at Liverpool Crown Court, received a five-year disqualification from driving.
Mills exited a bridge club and subsequently lost control of her Vauxhall Corsa, resulting in the fatality of 76-year-old Brenda Joyce and injuries to 80-year-old Jennifer Ensor on 2 August of the previous year.
The individual reported to law enforcement that she experienced a loss of control over the vehicle, which accelerated unexpectedly while departing from Elbow Lane Methodist Church in Formby, Merseyside, shortly after 4 PM.
In a formal statement to law enforcement, she reported that her accelerator pedal felt as though it had “dropped to the floor” while she navigated around a stationary vehicle, resulting in her vehicle “shooting forward.”.
She stated, “The sequence of events unfolded rapidly, and there were individuals obstructing my path; however, I was unable to evade collision due to the vehicle’s high velocity, which rendered me without control.”
During the court proceedings, Tom Gent, representing the defence, stated that Mills acknowledged her inadvertent application of excessive acceleration, resulting in her vehicle lurching forward and subsequently mounting the curb.
This case is unequivocally tragic. Mrs. Mills, the defendant, expresses significant regret regarding the incident that occurred,” he stated. The consequences will persist indefinitely. She experiences significant feelings of shame and guilt.
In delivering the sentence, Judge Simon Medland KC remarked: “From all perspectives, this case represents a profound tragedy.” Mrs. Joyce has passed away, Mrs. Ensor sustained injuries, your reputation has been compromised, and you find yourself facing charges at Liverpool Crown Court.
The court was informed that Joyce’s spouse did not endorse the prosecution and that Mills had relinquished her driving license following the incident.
In a statement presented to the court, Ensor reported sustaining minor injuries, which included tendon damage that hindered her ability to complete a full round of golf, and expressed a “sense of guilt” regarding her survival.
The court was informed that Mills, a former careers adviser, had a history of engaging in voluntary work with victims of crime and young offenders, as well as providing housing for refugees from Ukraine.
The judge acknowledged her guilty plea from a prior hearing and established an initial sentencing benchmark of 18 months of incarceration. The sentence was suspended for a duration of 18 months.
“Considering the established guidelines for sentencing, the comprehensive pre-sentence reports, the numerous references provided, and, I would argue, basic rationality,” Medland stated, “it would not serve anyone’s interests to impose an immediate sentence, nor would that result be equitable.”
Mills was additionally mandated to remit a fine of £1,500 along with £500 in prosecution expenses.
Government data indicates that the population of drivers aged 70 and above in Great Britain rose from 4.5 million to 5.6 million from 2016 to 2020, representing approximately 14% of the total license holders.
In 2022, approximately 25% of all fatalities in motor vehicle collisions involved older drivers, who accounted for 11% of incidents leading to casualties.
The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency mandates that drivers aged 70 and above must renew their licences every three years and disclose any medical conditions they may have.
Nonetheless, there have been demands for a more stringent regulatory framework. Certain organisations, such as local councils, provide evaluations and training programmes for senior drivers; however, there is a lack of comprehensive national regulations governing this domain.
Professionals from the national older drivers taskforce, the University of Warwick, and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, supported by the Road Safety Trust, have been analysing the potential impact of “standardised mature driver assessments” on enhancing road safety.
Ruth Purdie, chief executive of the Road Safety Trust, stated: “With the rising population of older drivers on UK roads, there is a corresponding increase in initiatives aimed at maintaining their safety.”