Pembrokeshire: Learner drivers jailed for fatal B4341 crash
- Published
Ella Smith, 21, was a passenger in one of two cars driven by learner drivers when the fatal crash occurred in Pembrokeshire
A firefighter was the first responder to a crash which killed his daughter after two learner drivers raced.
Adrian Smith said he first knew daughter Ella Smith died in the crash when he recognised her leg tattoo as she was removed from the car.
Ms Smith, 21, from Camrose, Pembrokeshire, died at the scene on the B4341 on 13 June 2021.
Jago Clarke and Emma Price, both 21, were jailed for 10 years each for killing her.
Clarke, of Hubberston, Milford Haven, and Price, of Holloway, Haverfordwest, were also banned from driving for six years.
They were both previously found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by driving following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.
They also pleaded guilty to causing death by driving while unlicensed and uninsured.
At their sentencing in Swansea on Friday, court heard how Ms Smith's father Adrian was a firefighter who was called to the scene along with paramedics.
He realised his daughter had died when he recognised her leg tattoo as she was being pulled from one of the cars.
Mr Smith told the court he had been doing a scene assessment at the time.
"As I looked back, they were putting a blanket over Ella… I was the loneliest man alive. I knew my eldest daughter was dead."
Maria Smith, Ella's mum, described her daughter as loving, caring and thoughtful - and directed her remarks to her killers in court.
"We were a family of five" she said. "Now, we're a family of four, because of you Jago Clarke and Emma Price."
Having worked at Withybush Hospital for 22 years, Mrs Smith said the tragedy had ended her career in the NHS, affecting her family mentally as well as financially.
"Hearing sirens sends shivers through me" she said.
The crash occurred as the group approached Portfield Gate on the B4341 in Pembrokeshire
Judge Paul Thomas said both Clarke and Price "were racing and enticing each other to overtake" when the crash happened.
The trial heard the pair were seen swerving their vehicles and reaching speeds of up to 70mph (112.7km/h) before Ella Smith's Ford Ka, which Clarke was driving, collided with another car.
The blue Citroen driven by Price was not physically involved in the collision, but prosecutors argued she was equally responsible due to the manner of her driving.
The court heard how the group were heading back from the beach and, as they approached Portfield Gate on the B4341, Clarke lost control on a bend and clipped the verge before careering across the road and into the path of an oncoming Seat.
The passenger in the Seat, Daisy Buck, was badly injured and had to have surgery.
She told the court she had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the crash, with both her and her partner having to defer their university submissions.
Clarke told the jury he had no memory of the crash after suffering a bleed on the brain, two collapsed lungs and being placed in a coma for two days.
Judge Thomas said Clarke and Price were "unqualified and inexperienced drivers" who were "equally culpable".
"Cars kill, especially when driven by young people showing off, as you two were," he said.
"Ella Smith had everything to live for, she was only 21, with a life full of promise and love.
"Her loss is irreplaceable."
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