Nine Devon drivers who caused tragic crashes and crazy collisions

A teenage driver was sentenced this week for a dangerous driving spree in Exeter[1] which ended with him hitting a woman who was crossing a street. Keith Lowres’ behaviour was so out of control that when police came to his home after one incident they found the words “catch me you c***s” scrawled in the dirt. He offences included filling up with petrol and not paying, stealing a car, ABH, pushing past traffic, mounting the kerb, swerving around vehicles, running red lights, driving on the wrong side, speeding at 80mph, crashing through a road barrier, ramming a police car, narrowly missing a mum and child on the pavement, multiple police chases and finally hitting the pedestrian and causing her serious injury.

All this while never having passed a driving test. The court was told Lowres had a lack of empathy for the victims but was now sorry and starting the understand the truly appalling consequences of his actions. Only his age stopped him from getting a more serious sentence.

His case is one of a number of bad, idiotic and lethal driving incidents to come to court in Exeter in the last 12 months. Despite decades of police campaigns the number of people killed or injured on the roads of the UK remains stubbornly high at over 1,000 each year. In 2022 the government announced it would increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving from 14 years’ imprisonment to life.

It also created a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving. Here DevonLive looks at serious cases of drink-fuelled, reckless, inattentive, dangerous and just plain idiotic driving that ended up in court in the past year.

Luke Geard from Axminster (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A driver was jailed for ten years for mowing down a woman and her causing horrific injuries. Luke Geard was drunk and angry when he deliberately ploughed into the woman with his BMW X5 in Axminster.

He collided with a parked vehicle outside her home then put his foot down and pinned her against a car. Geard drove away from the scene to buy a kebab, leaving her in agony on the ground. She suffered multiple broken bones and needed emergency surgery.

When police arrested him later that evening he said: “That’s not my problem, I couldn’t give a f**k.”

Paignton dash cam footage (Image: Nextbase)

Footage captured by dashcam shows the horrifying moment a Paignton[3] driver crashes into the back of a family’s car. The driver of a white Kia can be seen approaching from behind before swerving into the back of the vehicle on Marldon Road.

He seems to misjudge how much room he has to perform a high-speed overtake and narrowly avoids a red Mini in the opposite lane. Screams can be heard from inside the family car after it is slammed into. They were left traumatised, with whiplash and back injuries.

The driver of the Kia later failed an alcohol test and was banned by magistrates.

Paul Schofield rammed his car into a police officer (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

An angry Paignton[5] man deliberately drove his car at a police officer then grabbed him while he was pinned in agony between two vehicles. Paul Schofield shouted “I hope that f*****g hurt” at PC Luke Holman who had arrived at the defendant’s home moments earlier in response to an emergency call from Schofield’s wife.

The injured officer managed to fight off his attacker and retrain him at the scene until colleagues arrived to help. He suffered ruptured ligaments, bruises and a fracture in the incident. Schofield, aged 50, was jailed for three years and nine months at Exeter Crown Court[6].

The defendant admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

The crash occurred on Northam Road in Bideford (Image: Google Maps)

A cyclist was killed because an over-confident driver with drugs in his system was in a rush to get home after a barbecue with friends in North Devon[8], a court has heard. Harry Bennett had only passed his test two weeks before causing the collision which killed 77-year-old Geoffrey Dean.

Mr Dean was a fit, active and much-loved engineer who was well respected for his work in the community and at Appledore. He was on his way home from work in Bideford[9] when he was hit from behind by the BMW driven by Bennett. The cyclist was thrown into the air and over the roof of the car.

He died at the scene from multiple injuries. Bennett crashed into a wall after the collision and remained at the scene while emergency services arrived. Traces of ketamine, alcohol and cocaine were found in his body.

Peter O’Neil has been sentenced for driving offences in Devon (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

A dangerous motorist was jailed for running red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road in a stolen car. Peter O’Neil came down to Devon from the Midlands with friends hoping to enjoy “a short break” at the seaside, a court heard. But he refused to stop for police in Paignton[11] and instead completed a series of dangerous manoeuvres.

Other drivers had to move out of his way to avoid a crash. He was arrested when police found the car outside Paignton Sailing[12] Club. Officers discovered stolen power tools nearby.

The 39-year-old admitted multiple driving offences and has been jailed at Exeter[13] Crown Court.

Jacob Chugg-White (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

The family of a young Devon farmer who was killed in a car crash have urged young drivers to take more responsibility for their passengers to avoid a repeat of the tragedy. Jacob Chugg-White was sat in the back seat of a car being driven by his best friend when it crashed on a country lane near Dunkeswell.

He was thrown from the wreckage and died at the scene. Driver William Bennett, 24, had drunk five beers and half a shot before getting behind the wheel. He was given a suspended sentence at Exeter[15] Crown Court on Thursday after admitted causing death by careless driving while being over the limit.

Jacob’s family were in court to hear the case. His mother said she had been ‘torn apart’ knowing that the person who killed her son was his friend.

It happened on one of Paignton’s key junctions (Image: Ian S)

A driver has been sentenced for injuring a teenager crossing a busy road in Paignton[17].

Kirsty Shears was behind the wheel of a car which hit the 16-year-old girl at Tweenaway junction. She suffered a fractured pelvis and a number of other injuries in the collision. The trauma has had a lasting psychological impact on her and she is still frightened of walking near traffic, a court heard.

Shears, aged, 47, was turning right onto Totnes[18] Road but failed to notice the girl crossing the road. Exeter[19] Crown Court heard it was a “momentary lapse of concentration”.

Buddle Lane and Okehampton Road junction (Google)

A 21-year-old driver was convicted of causing a collision which seriously injured a cyclist in Exeter[21]. Jacob Jordan was driving a Vauxhall Corsa which hit the man at the junction of Buddle Lane and Okehampton[22] Road in August 2022.

The victim, Andrew Edwards, woke up in hospital some time later with no recollection of the incident or what caused his life-changing injuries. His last memory was going to the cinema at the end of the previous month, a court heard. Jordan, of St Paul’s Close near Burnthouse Lane, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving and banned from driving for 18 months.

Magistrates were told he is genuinely sorry for what happened and there isn’t a single day goes by when he does not think about it.

Keith Lowres has been jailed for dangerous driving (Image: Devon & Cornwall Police)

This speeding driver was jailed for hitting a mum crossing the road – narrowly missing her daughter and causing mayhem on the roads of Exeter[24]. Keith Lowres struck the woman in Lower Harrington Lane off Pinhoe Road.

She had just collected her young daughter from school and had stepped off the pavement in front of her when she was hit by a Peugeot 508 driven by Lowres. She was thrown into the air and landed on her head, sustaining life-changing injuries. The car involved in the collision had been stolen the day before and shortly before the collision had been involved in a high speed police chase near Broadclyst which involved Lowres smashing through a road barrier, mounting pavements and hitting speeds of 80mph.

After hitting the woman Lowres drove off. He and two of his friends then abandoned the vehicle and ran. Lowres was arrested a short time later at his address.

References

1. ^ Exeter (www.devonlive.com)
2. ^