Man who fled scene of fatal 70mph crash jailed

Christopher Latham was overheard offering someone money to help him escape the scene of the crash

A motorist has been jailed for 15 years for causing a high-speed crash in which a woman died and another was left seriously injured.

Christopher Latham hit a lamppost and a brick wall in Caterham, Surrey, at about 03:00 BST on 9 June, after hitting speeds of 70mph in a 30mph zone.

One of his three passengers, a woman aged in her 30s, died at the scene. Another woman was left seriously injured with multiple fractures.

Latham, 37, of Princes Gate, south-west London, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

Police said they were alerted to the crash by automated calls, one from Latham's car's emergency system and the other from his phone.

On the phone call he was heard offering someone money to help him escape, a Surrey Police spokesperson said.

Investigators said he ended up fleeing the fatal crash scene but was eventually arrested in Manchester.

Latham's car crashed at the roundabout where Buxton Lane and Salmons Lane meet in Caterham

Det Sgt Ben Grilli said following sentencing: "This is a tragic case of a completely avoidable death on our roads which has left a family without their loved one.

"If you get behind the wheel of a car and drive dangerously, the consequences can be catastrophic."

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