An inexperienced van driver who killed a 19-year-old woman and seriously injured three other people when he failed to see an oncoming car at a junction was today (Thursday, October 16) given a two-year suspended jail sentence.
George Rowledge (28) admitted causing the death of Lamara Sneddon by careless driving on the A52 near Swaton. He had passed his driving test just seven months earlier.
Rowledge, of Fennell Road, Pinchbeck, also pleaded guilty to three offences of causing serious injury by careless driving arising from the same collision.
The charges followed an investigation into a three-vehicle crash on Wednesday, October 4, 202,3 which was reported to the police at 3.20pm.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the collision happened at the A52 junction with the B1394 involving a white Peugeot Boxer Van, a grey Mercedes-Benz E Class car and a silver Citroen Xsara.
Neil Sands, prosecuting, told the court Rowledge, who was driving the Peugeot van, was trying to cross the A52 from the village of Swaton when he collided with the rear of the Mercedes.
The force of the collision caused the Mercedes to hit the the Citroen head-on.
Ms Sneddon, who was a passenger in the Citreon, was rushed to the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham with another three people with various injuries – she died three days later, shortly before her 20th birthday.
She was a former student at the King Edward Academy school in Spilsby and a bar worker at The Lookout in Skegness.
Mr Sands said Rowledge remained at the scene of the collision and the driver of the Mercedes recalled him saying: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Rowledge told another witness: “It’s my fault, I’m so sorry.”
Another witness formed the view Rowledge made a mistake and hesitated in the road.
Rowledge later explained he did not see the Mercedes and clipped it.
A victim impact statement was read out from Ms Sneddon’s father, who was travelling with his daughter and also suffered multiple injuries.
He described the impact of the collision as a “living nightmare” and said “my whole world fell apart.”
“Lamara was my life,” he added.
Ms Sneddon’s mother also suffered serious injuries in the crash and required surgery for mobility issues.
She described the unbearable guilt of surviving the collision.
Impact statements were also read out from Ms Sneddon’s two sisters and the driver of the Mercedes, who also suffered a number of significant injuries.
In mitigation the court heard Rowledge pleaded guilty to all four charges at the first opportunity.
The court was told Rowledge had no points on his licence, was in work and had passed his driving test just seven months before the collison.
A letter from Rowledge to the Sneddon family was also read out in court.
Rowledge explained that as a father of two young daughters he could not imagine their pain and “lived with it every day.”
Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight said it was an “unsafe manoeuvre” which killed one person and caused serious injury to three others.
Judge Sjolin Knight stated there was good visibilty and told Rowledge “you could and should have seen vehicles on the A52”.
But Judge Sjolin Knight stressed she had to follow the sentencing guidelines and said the only aggravating feature, other than the injuries caused, was that Rowledge had a passenger in his van.
Rowledge was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment suspended for two years. He must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and obey a four-month curfew between 9pm and 5am.
He was also banned from driving for three years and must take an extended retest.
