Naomi Buckle death: Driver jailed over Ripon crash which killed friend
- Published
Naomi Buckle was killed when Harry Elliott's car crashed into a tree
A motorist whose friend died when his car crashed into a tree on a late-night drive has been jailed for two years.
Naomi Buckle, 20, was a passenger in Harry Elliott's Audi RS3 when he lost control of the car on a rural road in North Yorkshire in December 2019.
Elliott's friends had urged him to slow down moments before the fatal crash near Ripon, a court was told.
He was sentenced at York Crown Court on Monday after admitting causing death by dangerous driving last month.
The court had heard that Elliott, 25, of Anteforth View, in Gilling West, near Richmond, had set out with four friends on a drive in wet weather from the Scotch Corner Hotel to Brimham Rocks just before 01:40 GMT on 6 December 2019.
His car later left the road and crashed into a tree on a sharp bend on an unlit and winding stretch of the B6265 just after 02:00 GMT.
North Yorkshire Police said all five occupants were wearing seatbelts, but Ms Buckle, from Catterick, who was in the middle rear passenger seat, was believed to have moved the upper strap under her arm for comfort.
Her friends gave her CPR before paramedics arrived, but she died at the scene of the crash.
Harry Elliott's friends had urged him to slow down moments before the crash
Elliott initially pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, but changed his plea at the start of his trial on 6 June.
Following his sentencing, Ms Buckle's family said they could "now finally put Naomi to rest".
In a statement, her family said: "It has taken a long time to bring justice for our family.
"Naomi was a loving mum, daughter and sister. She is missed so much that words cannot describe.
"As a family, we can't comprehend how much this has affected and damaged us."
Sgt Mark Patterson, of North Yorkshire Police, said the family had "suffered more than any prison sentence could compensate them for".
He added: "This is such a needless loss of a young life, something that could have been avoided.
"I cannot emphasise enough the importance of driving to the road conditions and complying with the rules of the road. The rules are in place for a reason."
Elliott's three other passengers suffered a number of fractures in the crash, but have since recovered from their injuries.
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