A man has today (Wednesday 16 November 2011) been sentenced to five and a half years’ imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving in an incident which took the life of 16-year-old Pickering girl Natalia Wiley.
Robert Turnbull, 19, from Wrelton, near Pickering, who pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing at York Crown Court last month, also received a seven year driving ban and will have to take an extended driving test in due course.
The fatal collision happened on the A170, Pickering to Scarborough road at Snainton on Saturday 8 January 2011.
The police investigation proved that Turnbull had been driving at excessive speed and in a dangerous manner when he lost control and crashed with Natalia in the front passenger seat of the car.
Statement from Traffic Sergeant Neil Campbell, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group:
This is a profoundly tragic case which has robbed Natalia of her life and her family of their beloved daughter.
I hope it sends a wake-up call to dangerous and speeding drivers, and that they fully understand the grief and devastation that their actions can cause.
I implore all drivers who think they can use the roads as a speed-track, please think of the deadly, life-changing consequences of reckless and dangerous driving. Speed limits and motoring laws are in place for a reason, and no case can illustrate this more than this tragedy.
No punishment can bring Natalia back, but I hope that now the court case has concluded, her family can now begin to rebuild their shattered lives.
Statement from Natalia’s family:
Where do we start? The phone call telling us Natalia had been involved in an accident? The policeman telling us she had been killed? Having to tell her grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends? Having to choose a photo to give to the press? Giving a family statement about the loss of our beautiful, precious girl? Having to arrange Natalia’s funeral? How do you choose a coffin? Waiting what seems like an eternity to find out what actually happened? Sitting through a court case hearing all the painful facts?
This is only a miniscule piece of what we have been through since Natalia’s untimely passing.
A gap has been left in all the lives of Natalia’s family and friends that can never be filled, no matter how much time passes.
We have been reliably informed that had the speed limit been adhered to then this collision would probably never happened.
The fact is, speed kills. So if you want to do anything in the memory of a beautiful, happy caring young woman, please drive carefully and stick within the speed limits.
Natalia, you will be missed so much by so many forever.
Love you princess.
