Woman jailed for death by dangerous driving

A woman who caused the death of a 61-year-old man in Crewe by dangerous driving has been jailed for 50 months.

Oghenevwaire Shittu, 39, of Ruskin Road, Crewe, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 4 September after previously pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Shortly before 10.10am on Friday 9 February, Shittu was driving a green BMW along Nantwich Road, Wistaston, when she collided with Stephen Rae from Crewe.

Stephen had been crossing the road and was waiting at a central refuge island clearly marked with two fluorescent bollards.

The BMW was seen on CCTV travelling towards Crewe when it made a noticeable movement from its position in the road towards the central island. It continued to drive onto the island and hit Stephen. CCTV footage did not show any evidence of the BMW’s brake lights being activated.

Members of the public rushed to Stephen’s aid, who sadly suffered multiple injuries and was later pronounced dead at hospital.

Shittu was subsequently arrested at the scene. She passed drug and alcohol screening, as well as a roadside fitness procedure. In interview, she gave no defence as to how the collision occurred. She said she was familiar with the road and there were no distractions inside or outside the vehicle.

She was found to have been driving without a valid licence, having only held a UK provisional licence since 2022, and was also driving without any insurance in place.

On top of her custodial sentence, Shittu will be disqualified from driving for five years and must then take an extended driving test.

Following the sentencing, the family of Stephen Rae said:

“Stephen was a much-loved son and nephew.

“We are relieved to be at the end of this lengthy process. But despite someone being held accountable for Stephen’s death, no sentence is ever going to bring Stephen back to us.”

Sergeant Andrew Dennison added:

“When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you need to be aware that driving is a privilege, not a right, and nothing justifies not paying full attention to the road.

“While Shittu is now behind bars for this offence, nothing is going to bring Stephen back, and our thoughts remain with his family and friends at this time.

“This collision could easily have been avoided, so if any good can come from this tragic event, I hope it reminds people of the sudden devastating consequences of not paying attention when driving.”

Pictured - Oghenevwaire Shittu of Ruskin Road in Crewe.