Man sentenced following fatal collision in Wilmslow

A man who drove through a red light and killed a 46-year-old woman as she crossed a road in Wilmslow has been sentenced.

David Bacon appeared at Chester Crown Court today, Friday 16 October, where he was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work, complete 20 days rehabilitation and must adhere to a four month curfew from 8pm until 6am.

In addition, Bacon was banned from driving for three years and will be required to take an extended retest.

The 53-year-old, of Benson Walk, Wilmslow, had earlier pleaded guilty to death by careless driving.

The collision took place at around 5.39pm on Monday 4 February 2019.

Prior to the incident Bacon had been at the Unicorn public house in Dean Row.

After leaving the pub he drove his silver Peugeot 206 towards Wilmslow on Dean Row Road.

As he approached the junction of Pinewood Road Bacon sped up and overtook another car in an attempt to get through the oncoming traffic lights before they turned red.

However, Bacon misjudged the timings and subsequently hit 46-year-old Samantha Jones, as she was crossing the road.

Due to the nature of the collision officers were unable to calculate the exact speed that he was travelling at. However, a nearby motorist stated that they believed he was exceeding the 30mph speed limit.

The impact of the collision caused Samantha to be thrown into the air before landing on the road.

Samantha sustained a number of serious injuries and sadly, despite the best efforts of paramedics at the scene, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following today’s sentencing Police Constable Geraint Williams, from Cheshire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Investigations unit said: “Driving is a privilege, not a right and when you get a licence you agree to follow the rules of the road.

“In this case it is clear that Bacon was flouting those rules. In his defence he claimed that he couldn’t see Samantha as it was too dark. But that fact of matter is that he choose to deliberately speed up and drive through the lights, rather than wait for just 30 seconds,

“As a result of that decision a 46-year-old woman is now dead.

“Samantha’s family have been absolutely devastated by her death and I hope that the conclusion of this case will allow her family to start to rebuild their lives.

“If anything can be achieved from Samantha’s death I hope that it acts as a warning to other motorists that the decisions you make behind the wheel can change not only your life but that of others. Keep that in mind when you’re behind the wheel.”

Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane added: “Collisions are the biggest killer in Cheshire and sadly, Samantha was one of 36 people who lost their lives on our roads in 2019.

“That’s 36 people who didn’t come home, 36 families who had their whole worlds completely shattered, and 36 people whose lives which were cut short.

“That is why, as your Police and Crime Commissioner, road safety is one of my key priorities and I am committed to continuing to work with Cheshire Constabulary and partner agencies to reduce the number of serious incidents on our roads and motorways.”