Four drivers who killed woman, 20, in horror crash as they raced each other at ‘simply stupid’ speeds are jailed
FOUR men who killed a young woman in a horror crash after they raced at “simply stupid” speeds have been jailed.
Denii Reynolds, 20, was travelling in a Citroen C1 driven by Keelan Tuke, 21, when he smashed into a Vauxhall Corsa.
Tragically, Denii was declared dead at the scene in Utterby, Lincolnshire, while the 70-year-old Vauxhall driver was seriously injured.
Tuke was leading a “convoy” of cars driven by three other men as they raced at speeds of up to 98mph at the time of the horror.
He, Riley Duncombe, 19, Keigan Launder, 23, and Josh Dobb, 21, have been jailed for more than 30 years for causing death by dangerous driving.
The friends were also convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Sentencing, Judge James House KC said: “I am sure what they were doing was egging each other on, driving in a competitive manner, pushing each other to drive faster.
“In short they were showing off to each other and their passengers.
“Denii Reynolds had her whole life ahead of her. The impact of her death upon her family is incalculable and enduring.
“It is undoubtedly the case that none of these defendants set out that night with the intention of anyone being seriously harmed, let alone killed.
“I am prepared to accept that each of them deeply regrets what happened and with the benefits of hindsight each of them would turn the clock back.”
Lincoln Crown Court heard the four were driving at “grossly excessive speeds” in a “misplaced act of bravado” moments before the crash.
Dashcam footage showed Dobb’s car had been travelling at up to 99mph, while Tuke’s top speed reached 98mph.
As they raced along the A16, Tuke clipped a kerb and veered across the road into the path of the Corsa.
Denii suffered catastrophic injuries, while the driver of the Vauxhall suffered a smashed right foot, a broken right leg and a broken wrist.
Her dad said in a statement he was “completely heartbroken and devastated” by her death.
He also described his daughter as having “beautiful eyes, a big smile and an infectious laugh”.
Tuke, Launder and Dobb were all jailed for eight-and-a-half years, while Duncombe was sentenced to five years and eight months in a young offenders institution.
All four will also be disqualified from driving for a further five years after their release from prison.