Driver who killed woman, 22, & seriously injured his girlfriend in a horror crash while speeding to Starbucks is jailed
A DRIVER who killed a woman and seriously injured his girlfriend in a horror crash while travelling at more than double the speed limit has been jailed.
Claudia Forden, 22, was travelling in Jack Caddick’s Mercedes when he lost control on a bend and smashed into another car.
The nursery worker sadly couldn’t be saved and was declared dead after suffering “severe abdominal injuries”.
Caddick’s girlfriend, who was also in the car, was left with serious injuries on what was her 21st birthday.
The 27-year-old has now been jailed for eight years after he admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one of causing death by dangerous driving.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Caddick had only picked Claudia and his girlfriend up just minutes before the horror unfolded in August 2021.
The group were on their way to Starbucks when he began speeding at 68mph in a 30mph zone while approaching a bend.
Caddick then veered into the wrong lane while trying to take the corner and smashed “almost head on” into David Hockey.
The other driver had “no chance to brake or swerve” and was also left with serious injuries, including broken ribs.
Caddick, who appeared in a wheelchair in the dock, suffered a “mild traumatic brain injury” and breaks to both his heels.
As well as a jail sentence, he has been banned from driving for eight years and eight months.
Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “The decisions made by Caddick on that August afternoon in 2021 have left a grieving family devastated and two people with serious injuries.
“Our thoughts remain with Claudia’s family and although no sentence can repair the devastation of what happened that afternoon, we hope it does at least provide some comfort as her family and friends continue to come to terms with the heart-breaking loss.
“Having collected Claudia and her friend from a nearby address, Caddick’s manner of driving and speed drastically changed, and this decision had catastrophic consequences.
“Travelling at speeds more than double the speed limit, Caddick was unable to control the Mercedes and this was the primary cause of this devastating collision.
“This case is a tragic example of the consequences of speeding for everyone involved and I’d urge any motorist to drive at speeds that are appropriate for the road and conditions.”