Speeding driver guilty of killing teen in crash

Alliyah Bell's mother said the trial had "taken us back to the darkest place in our lives"

A speeding driver has been found guilty of killing a teenage girl in a crash.

Alliyah Bell, 17, died in hospital 11 days after she was seriously injured on Hythe Hill, Colchester, in 2021.

She would have survived if Daniel Chappell had been driving at 30mph, rather than the 40mph he was travelling at, Essex Police said.

Alliyah's mother, Jo Bell, said the family would be "suffering for the rest of our lives without her".

Chappell, 37, of Prince Philip Road, Colchester, was convicted of causing death by careless driving at Chelmsford Crown Court and will be sentenced on 16 October.

He had been behind the wheel of a Ford Kuga when it struck Alliyah in the early hours of 29 August 2021.

Forensic collision experts found he had enough time to react before he hit the teenager.

A jury found him guilty after three hours and 10 minutes of deliberations.

Ms Bell said the trial had been a "traumatic week" for her family.

"It has taken us back to the darkest place in our lives and even though this court case has brought justice today with a guilty verdict, it will never bring our Alliyah back," she said.

"We have been, and will be, suffering for the rest of our lives without her."

Det Insp Mark Fraser, of Essex Police, said the 17-year-old's death was "avoidable".

"[Chappell] was speeding in a residential street in the early hours of the morning, giving himself almost no chance to react before the incident," he said.

"Sadly, this resulted in his driving taking the life of a young woman and he will have to live with this for the rest of his life."