NEWS FEED
A man has been jailed for four years and four months after causing a collision which killed one woman and seriously injured four other people.
Lewis Paul Faulkner, 25 of Coburg Road in Dorchester, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today, Monday 17 October, after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one of causing death while uninsured.
The court heard that at around 4.13pm on Wednesday 10 June 2015 Faulkner was driving his BMW along the A31 near Lake Gates in Wimborne when he failed to negotiate a gradual left hand bend. His car collided head-on with a Ford Fiesta which was travelling in the opposite direction.
The driver of the Ford Fiesta, Tereasa Cutler, had just been to her sister Patricia’s funeral and was driving to the wake when the collision occurred. She was travelling with her two children – Daniel, then aged 16, and Alice, then aged 18 – and nephew Joe Woodland. Tereasa had just taken on parental responsibility for Joe, then aged 19, following his mother’s death.
The court heard that both cars were hurled into the air and Tereasa’s car was thrown off the road and into a nearside hedge. Sadly 49-year-old Tereasa died at the scene from her injuries.
Alice, Daniel and Joe sustained serious injuries and spent many weeks receiving treatment in hospital. Their injuries were life-changing and will affect them in different ways for the rest of their lives, the court heard.
Faulkner and his 22-year-old front seat passenger were also seriously injured.
The court heard that Faulkner’s blood was tested and while there was no alcohol in his system there were traces of cannabis and ecstasy within his blood. While they were below the legal limit, a toxicologist claimed Faulkner could have been experiencing the come-down effects which can cause fatigue and lack of awareness.
In police interview, Faulkner said he could not give an explanation for the collision.
Both vehicles were examined and no defects were found. Faulkner’s mobile was seized and tests revealed it was not being used at the time of the collision.
The court heard that Faulkner was driving in connection with his work but his insurance did not cover him for that.
During the hearing Tereasa’s daughter Alice read her victim impact statement to the court. She said: “On the 10 June 2015 my life changed forever. I lost my mum, my best friend and became an orphan. Not only did this event change my life, it irreparably changed the life of my brother Daniel, my cousin Joseph, my Aunt and Uncle Julie and Steven – my entire family.”
She continued: “It is true to say that the emotional impact of this accident has changed me. I no longer feel safe in a car. I no longer feel safe and reassured because it has been demonstrated to me that things like this really do happen to ordinary families. People take risks that they shouldn’t whilst driving: things that ultimately make our roads unsafe.
“I feel vulnerable on a daily basis because I do not have my mum there to comfort me and guide me. Instead, all I have is a grave which provides me with little comfort. An accident like this changes you: you see the world differently.
“The reality of the impact of this accident is that today I should not be here. I should be at home with my mum and my brother enjoying our life together which Mum had worked so hard to provide for us.
“Instead I am stood here today mourning the needless loss of my mum’s life which was so unnecessary. I will grow up without my mum. My children will not know their grandmother and there will be an empty seat at our weddings where mum should have been had it not been for the 10 June last year.”
Faulkner was also handed an extended driving disqualification for four years and eight months and told he would have to taken an extended re-test before getting his licence back.
Police Sergeant Lee Savage, of Dorset Police’s Road Traffic Unit, said: “We still do not know why Faulkner failed to negotiate the bend and caused this head-on collision. The prosecution case was that he must have fallen asleep and this case highlights the dangers of driving while tired and after using recreational drugs.
“His driving that day fell well below the standard expected of any driver and led to devastating consequences. Alice and Daniel lost their much-loved mother and Joe lost an auntie who had just taken on parental responsibility for him following his own mother’s death.
“This is one of the most heart-breaking cases I have dealt with and I would like to pay tribute to them for the strength they have shown throughout this tragic time.”
