Delivery driver avoids jail after killing pedestrian

A 21-year-old woman who drove at about 60mph (96.5kph) to deliver a pizza before she hit and killed a pedestrian has avoided jail.

Rosie Hanson was handed a 16-month prison term, suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday for causing the death by careless driving of Ryan Phillips on 17 January 2024.

The 27-year-old was walking to a restaurant in Sheerness, Kent, with his girlfriend to celebrate passing his apprenticeship as an IT technician, the court heard.

They were struck by Hanson's VW Golf on Marine Parade at about 18:40 BST while they were "chatting and laughing" on the pavement.

Prosecutor Tom Nicholson told the court Ms Rowe was hit in her legs, before she ran over to Mr Phillips and saw blood coming from his mouth.

A post-mortem examination of Mr Phillips revealed a strike to his head on the windshield of the car, adding it was a "completely unsurvivable head injury from the outset".

In a 999 call, Hanson said she hit someone in her car while delivering pizza and thought a cat ran out into the road "causing her to swerve up on to the kerb".

Sentencing her, Judge Julian Smith found Hanson was driving at speeds of about 60mph following expert analysis.

Hanson was also sentenced to nine months to be served concurrently for driving while uninsured, as her cover did not include her second job.

The judge said her sentence was "no measure" of a man's life but of her culpability in the offence, and adjusted her sentence to reflect her young age of 19 at the time.

The defendant, of Mimosa Avenue, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, had previously denied the offence of causing death by careless driving at a hearing in December last year, before changing her plea and also admitting causing death while uninsured in May this year.

The judge also ordered her to complete 220 hours of unpaid work and disqualified her from driving for three years, subject to passing an extended driving test.

Mr Phillips' mother Catherine Phillips said he was not just her son but her "best friend" and one of the most "selfless people".

She described him as caring, thoughtful and "full of love for people around him", adding that he was building a future for himself.

"All that future has been taken away in an instant," she said.

"My life has fallen apart. I struggle every day just to get through. Grief is constant and overwhelming, the silence he has left behind is unbearable.

"I will carry this pain, this loss for the rest of my life."

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