Lucy Knowles: Driver jailed for causing teenager's crash death

Lucy Knowles died in hospital from her injuries

A man has been jailed for causing the death of a 17-year-old girl after crashing into a group of trees on a country road.

Derby Crown Court heard William Eade, 19, was driving a Skoda "far too fast" when it left Harewood Road, Holymoorside, on 2 April 2021.

Passenger Lucy Knowles, from Chesterfield, suffered severe injuries and later died in hospital.

Eade admitted death by careless driving and was jailed for 10 months on Friday.

The court heard Eade, of Enfield Road, Newbold, Chesterfield, was driving along the road with three passengers at about 22:45 BST.

He had spent the day with a group, which included Ms Knowles, in Chesterfield, the court was told.

Black box data showed he was driving at 55mph (88km/h) at the moment the car crashed into three trees while going round a corner.

Eade was knocked unconscious, while two of his other friends sustained lesser injuries.

Ms Knowles, who was sitting behind the driver's seat, suffered a serious head injury and died in hospital in Sheffield three days later.

William Eade, 19, has also been banned from driving for five years from the date of his release

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said while he was driving under the road's speed limit, Eade was driving "far too fast" for a single-track country lane in the near-freezing conditions.

Following the crash, detectives carried out a two-week speed test and found drivers were most often travelling between 20 and 25mph when taking the bend, with the highest recorded speed between 35 and 40mph.

"He [Eade] was driving too fast for too long down a road which was not safe for the speed he was driving," Mr Janes said.

Ms Knowles' mother, Kerry, said her daughter was her "best friend" in a victim impact statement read to the court on her behalf.

She said she had been "emotionally at rock bottom" since her daughter's death.

Judge Nigel Godsmark KC, sentencing Eade, said: "You are not an evil person, you did not mean to cause harm, but you bear the responsibility for her death."

Eade will also be banned from driving for five years following his release.