Woman sentenced for fail-to-stop collision

Jane Hill pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving when she appeared in court in October.

A woman has been sentenced after she failed to stop following a collision which killed an 85-year-old.

Jane Hill, from Bridgwater, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving when she appeared in court in October.

At Taunton Crown Court, on Tuesday 25 November, the judge said she "did not have the courage to do the right thing," and sentenced Hill to six months in prison, suspended for two years, banned her from driving for three years and ordered her to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard the 57-year-old did not immediately stop her car after hitting Jean Bentley and instead drove away before returning and calling the emergency services.

Ms Bentley was taken to hospital by air ambulance but died of her injuries the following day.

Officers established Ms Bentley had been the victim of a fail-to-stop collision and work began to identify the vehicle and driver involved.

Hill was arrested and charged when CCTV revealed that she drove her car out of Dukes Mead before she returned to the scene.

Her car was seized and had a forensic examination, which found evidence it had been involved in the collision.

She was arrested but denied involvement to officers and was later charged.

DS Angus Moncur said: "Hill's refusal to admit her guilt until last month's trial left Jean's family without the answers they deserved for three years and put them through an unnecessarily prolonged court process."

He added when someone gets behind the wheel of a vehicle that person has a responsibility to other road users.