Holbeach crash: Driver jailed after fleeing scene of fatal collision

Shane Kelk was jailed for eight years and three months at Lincoln Crown Court

A disqualified driver who left a motorcyclist "dying in the road" after a hit-and-run crash has been jailed.

Shane Kelk, 28, hit Amy Cooper, 20, head on after crossing onto the wrong side of the road to overtake another car in foggy conditions on 13 November.

She was taken to hospital after the collision on the B1168 near Holbeach but died later the following day.

Kelk, of no fixed address, was jailed for eight years and three months after admitting causing Ms Cooper's death.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that following the crash Kelk ran to a nearby farm where he called his girlfriend to ask her to come and pick him up.

Prosecutor Jeremy James said his partner had then taken him to an address in Holbeach before he fled to Peterborough where he was arrested by police after trying to evade officers by scaling a wall.

Amy Cooper died in hospital the day after the crash in November 2022

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said Kelk had "callously left Amy dying on the road".

"You found Amy and you heard her murmur," the judge said.

"What you didn't do was stay with Amy. What you didn't do was to ring 999 to seek assistance.

"What you did do was everything you could to save your own skin."

In a statement to the court, Ms Cooper's mother Amanda said she found it "inconceivable" he had left the scene leaving her daughter behind.

"She had her whole life ahead of her and didn't deserve it to be cut short like this," she said.

The court heard Kelk had 22 previous convictions for 52 offences, including other convictions for driving with excess alcohol and while banned.

On Friday he pleaded guilty to six offences, including causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while disqualified, failing to stop at the collision and failing to report, driving without insurance and possessing cannabis resin.

Kelk was also banned from driving for eight and a half years.