Speeding Wiltshire driver jailed for fatal A3098 crash

Louis Tavener, 23, of Fell Road, Westbury, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury and a further count of causing death by dangerous driving.

Tavener was driving at speeds of up to 78 miles per hour in wet conditions on the A3098 outside Chalcot Park Farm in Dilton Marsh, a 50 mile per hour road, on April 11, 2023.

He lost control of his car and caused a head on crash with a Ford Mondeo travelling in the opposite direction.

Warwick Bayman, a 63-year-old retired pilot from Frome, died at the scene.

(Image: Wiltshire Police) The three passengers inside Tavener's BMW were also injured and one person was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Mr Bayman's sister Clare, speaking on behalf of her family, said: "The way in which my brother lost his life was slightly ironic.

"He was a commercial pilot, an HGV Class 1 driver and a superbly skilled rally driver who had nothing to prove on the road. Yet, he was killed by a driver who was going too fast for his level of driving experience.

"Warwick's family, fiancée and friends will always hold him in their memories as being one of the really good guys and he will be greatly missed."

Mr Bayman was due to get married in Cyprus in June 2023 ^[1] and he had a lifelong love of rallying and motorsport, as well as being involved in the Frome Canoe Club in his youth.

Sergeant Rich Hatch, from Wiltshire's Serious Collision Investigation Team, said: "Tavener's actions directly changed the lives of numerous people forever.

"Mr Bayman was only a few weeks away from marrying his partner when Tavener took both his and his fiancée’s future away. Our thoughts remain with Mr Bayman's family and friends on this day.

"Wiltshire Police and the CPS have spent a year building the case against Tavener. His sentence today should serve as a warning to others who make conscious decisions to drive too fast in wet conditions.

"The actions of one driver can change lives forever and we urge people to consider the risks before doing so."

Tavener was jailed for eight years and six months at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday, November 18 and he must serve a minimum of two thirds of the sentence in prison.

References

^{^} married in Cyprus in June 2023 (www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk)