A SPEEDING teenager killed an elderly pedestrian in a late-night crash – just weeks after he had been involved in another horror accident.
Stuart West ploughed into Richard Ansty, 69, who had just got off a bus and was crossing one of Southampton’s busiest roads. Mr Ansty died from multiple injuries.
Today road safety campaigners said West should never have been on the road and demanded tougher sentences to take dangerous drivers off the streets.
The call comes after it was revealed that before the death crash West was fined £135 and given five penalty points by magistrates for a separate careless driving accident.
Today the 19-year-old apprentice mechanic with the Bluestar bus company is beginning a two-year jail sentence.
Southampton Crown Court heard that although retired Royal Navy seaman Mr Ansty was dressed with a white jacket and hat, West failed to see him until it was too late.
A forensic scientist estimated from skid marks at the scene that he was doing at least 41mph in a 30mph limit.
Mr Ansty had been returning home after a night out at a working men’s club in January this year.
Bus security camera footage showed the life-long Saints fan getting off the double decker after at Stag Gates in The Avenue before starting to cross the road.
He was then struck by the Peugeot West was driving. The car belonged to his father.
Prosecutor Sarah Dineley said one witness thought the driver had “come out of nowhere” and other estimated he was doing up to 60mph.
“The bus had been stationary for a considerable length of time and was visible to anyone driving up The Avenue,” she said “Mr Ansty’s clothing would have made him clearly visible. This was not a momentary lapse of concentration.”
West, of Puffin Close, Lordshill, who admitted causing death by careless driving, was also disqualified for two years and must take an extended re-test when he is released. The court heard that four months before the death crash, West had lost control of his car after hitting a speed bump in Nursling.
The Vauxhall Vectra finished on its roof in a field.
His four passengers had been telling him to slow down and two even sent text messages to parents fearing they would not be coming home.
One spent four weeks in a neck brace after the accident.
At Southampton Magistrates’ Court a month later, West was fined £135 and given five penalty points for careless driving.
In mitigation at crown court, Kathyrn Newman said West accepted he had been driving below the level expected of a competent driver.
“It is basically the case he didn’t see Mr Ansty until the last second and the action he took wasn’t sufficient to avoid the fatal consequences.”
In a statement West said: “When I close my eyes, I can only see the horror of the impact.”
But road safety campaigners said he should have been banned after the first crash. Amy Aeron-Thomas, executive director of Road Peace, said: “Once you have a licence, it must be used responsibly.
If you abuse it, you should lose it.
Sgt Rob Heard, of the Road Death Investigation Team, said: “This sentence is a strong message for all young drivers to keep within the speed limit.”
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