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Texting death crash woman jailed | Texting death crash woman jailed |
(30 minutes later) | |
A motorist who sent and received more than 20 text messages before she crashed into another car killing its driver has been jailed for 21 months. | A motorist who sent and received more than 20 text messages before she crashed into another car killing its driver has been jailed for 21 months. |
Philippa Curtis, 21, from Suffolk, was texting before she hit the back of a stationary car at 70mph on the A40 near Wheatley in Oxfordshire. | Philippa Curtis, 21, from Suffolk, was texting before she hit the back of a stationary car at 70mph on the A40 near Wheatley in Oxfordshire. |
Victoria McBryde from Northamptonshire, who was dealing with a burst tyre, was killed in the crash in November 2007. | |
Curtis, of Bury St Edmunds, was also given a three-year driving ban. | Curtis, of Bury St Edmunds, was also given a three-year driving ban. |
Judge Julian Hall said it had been "folly and madness" to use a phone while driving and it had been "disastrous" for Curtis, Ms McBryde and her family. | Judge Julian Hall said it had been "folly and madness" to use a phone while driving and it had been "disastrous" for Curtis, Ms McBryde and her family. |
'Various calls' | |
Curtis, who injured her arm in the crash, told Oxford Crown Court she felt there were times when using a phone while driving was acceptable. | Curtis, who injured her arm in the crash, told Oxford Crown Court she felt there were times when using a phone while driving was acceptable. |
During the trial the defendant, a waitress, said she had been "hyper" as she set off on her two-hour journey on 20 November, 2007. | During the trial the defendant, a waitress, said she had been "hyper" as she set off on her two-hour journey on 20 November, 2007. |
She had made various calls and sent text messages to a number of friends using predictive text. | She had made various calls and sent text messages to a number of friends using predictive text. |
Shortly after making a call, her car hit Ms McBryde's parked Peugeot 106, then spun into oncoming traffic, hitting two more vehicles. | Shortly after making a call, her car hit Ms McBryde's parked Peugeot 106, then spun into oncoming traffic, hitting two more vehicles. |
I can't really describe in words how bad I actually feel Philippa Curtis, defendant | |
Ms McBryde, 24, from Horton, who had stopped to deal with a burst tyre, suffered a fatal brain injury in the crash. | |
Curtis, who suffered an arm injury, spun into oncoming traffic, hit two more vehicles, a white van and an Asda lorry, the court heard. | |
She admitted sending text messages while driving, but denied using her mobile phone at the time of the collision. | |
"I can't really describe in words how bad I actually feel," Curtis told the court. | |
"I just feel awful that I was involved and I can't really imagine how the family must feel." | |
Judge Hall said he hoped the case would send out a warning to other drivers not to use their phones when behind the wheel. | Judge Hall said he hoped the case would send out a warning to other drivers not to use their phones when behind the wheel. |