Road racer drivers jailed for fatal crash near Bath

A forensic collision investigator estimated Leonard (l) was driving at 79mph in a 50mph area in the moments before he crashed

Two men have been jailed for causing a fatal crash while racing each other on a sharp bend.

One of the vehicles collided with a VW Polo coming in the opposite direction on A367 Dunkerton Hill near Bath.

Heather Church, 64, who was driving the Polo, suffered significant head injuries and died at the scene.

Following the sentencing of Daniel Leonard, 29, and Mark Howell, 32, Ms Church's family said they were "utterly devastated" by her loss.

An investigation found Leonard, of no fixed address, and Howell, of Bloomfield in Bath, overtook a bus and were then seen racing side-by-side at about 10:45 BST on Wednesday 3 March 2021.

Leonard's Ford ST struck Ms Church's car, causing it to rotate and propel backwards into hedging.

Howell's BMW did not stop at the scene, but officers stopped the car the same evening near Bristol Airport, and arrested him.

At Bristol Crown Court on Friday, both men were sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving.

'Horror scene'

Judge Patrick said no sentence could "right the wrong" in this case, describing the aftermath of the collision as "a horror scene".

Leonard was given a 15-year sentence, made up of 11 years in prison and an additional four years on licence, while Howell was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

Leonard will also be banned from driving for 10 years following his release from prison, and Howell will be banned for five years on release. Both will have to take an extended re-test.

'Hard to fathom'

Collision investigator Dai Nicholas said witnesses described the actions of Leonard and Howell as "completely reckless", adding their decision to race "has cost an innocent person their life".

He added: "The defendants' decision to drive in such a dangerous and selfish manner is hard to fathom."

He continued: "Our thoughts are very much with the family of Heather Church and we hope the fact those who caused the collision have been brought to justice will bring them some comfort."

After thanking those who gave evidence and made statements, he said: "I hope this tragic case will discourage others from ignoring the road safety measures in place to keep us all safe; a failure to do so can have catastrophic consequences, as it has done in this case."

Ms Church's family added: "We would like to thank the members of the public who attended the collision to offer help, as well as our deepest thanks to all the emergency services personnel who attended and did their best at the scene."

They also thanked the police for their investigation which led to the convictions.

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