A man has been imprisoned for operating a vehicle that crashed and killed two of his passengers after it launched into the air at a roundabout.
In Rushden, Northamptonshire resident Aaron Smith, 29, lost control of his BMW, killing 21-year-old Brian Sibanda and 41-year-old Carrie McLellan.
Admitted to two counts of causing death by careless driving, he was sentenced to eight years and eight months in jail at Northampton Crown Court.
The head of Northamptonshire Police’s investigation, Det Con Lydia Watters, expressed her hope that the “families can take a small amount of comfort from the fact there has been some element of justice delivered”.
When the vehicle crashed at a roundabout in John Clark Way on June 3, 2022, another male in his 20s was also inside, according to the police.
The vehicle had been observed being driven recklessly, exceeding speed limits and overtaking intersections.
“Loving, caring, and considerate” was how Mrs. Sibanda characterised her son. She described her kid as “my gentle giant because that is exactly what he was – he was very gentle” in a statement that was read aloud at Smith’s sentencing on May 3.
According to her boyfriend, Ms. McLellan “lit up the room and was the life and soul of the party,” as she stated in court.
She would always be grinning and have time to provide friends and family comforting words or consoling embraces when required.
It had been “complex” to investigate the crash, according to Det Con Watters.
“Aaron Smith made a choice and that choice was to drive dangerously and way beyond the limits of the road,” she stated.
“As a result, he became accountable for the deaths of two dear friends, and I hope that both in prison and upon his release, he takes considerable time to consider this fact.”We will continue to think about the families of Carrie and Brian for a very long time.
