October 27, 2020 2.45 pm This story is over 41 months old

‘Overloading was critical factor’ in Lincoln triple fatal crash

The three victims didn’t wear a seatbelt
Money was raised for the funerals of Ricky (left) Joby (centre) and Aiden (right).

A newly qualified teenage driver caused a fatal crash in which three of her friends were killed after she lost control of her car on a straight stretch of road, a jury was told on Tuesday.

Kasey Boulton, 19, who had only passed her test a few weeks earlier, spun out of control as she drove along Heath Lane just outside the village of Welton near Lincoln, resulting in her Vauxhall Astra colliding with a tree.

Ian Way, prosecuting, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court that three passengers Ricky Sharp,17, Aiden Sawyer, 17, and Joby John Scrimshaw, 14, were killed. Boulton and her two other passengers were seriously injured.

None of the three were wearing a seat belt at the time. No other vehicle was involved.

Mr Way said that the car was only designed to hold four passengers but Boulton had five with Ricky Sharp sitting in the footwell behind the front passenger.

The prosecutor told the jury that the overloading of the car caused the vehicle to be unbalanced which contributed to Boulton losing control.

Boulton had recently passed her test at the time and had only had the Astra for three weeks before the collision occurred.

Flowers laid at the scene in tribute to the Welton Cliff crash victims. | Photo: Connor Creaghan for The Lincolnite

Mr Way said: “Miss Boulton had just gone through a right hand bend before coming onto a straight stretch of road.

“About 160 metres along that section of road she veered to the right, crossed over the centre line and into the opposite carriageway. The car spun clockwise and struck a tree. The vehicle received what can only be described as catastrophic damage.”

The jury was told that passing motorists stopped to give assistance and the emergency services were called. Ricky Sharp and Joby John Scrimshaw were both pronounced dead at the scene and Aiden Sawyer died two days later in hospital.

The incident happened as Boulton was driving towards Lincoln having picked up a house key from her home at Welton just minutes earlier.

Mr Way said: “PC Mark Brown, the police collision investigator, was of the opinion that the overloading of the vehicle was likely to have caused an imbalance in the car’s handling and stability.

“He concluded that the loss of control had to be due to the actions or inactions of Miss Boulton as an inexperienced driver.

“The issue for determination in this trial is the standard of Miss Boulton’s driving at the material time.

“The prosecution say her driving was dangerous because she took the conscious decision to drive an overloaded car in which one of her passengers could not be afforded the use of a seat belt.

“PC Brown was of the opinion that the overloading was a critical factor in the loss of control.”

Kasey Boulton, 19, of Heath Close, Welton, denies three charges of causing death by dangerous driving as a result of the incident on March 25, 2019.

The jury was told that after the collision she produced negative results when tested for drugs and alcohol.

When she was interviewed by police she said she was driving at between 50 and 55mph on the 60 limit road.

“I don’t know why I didn’t swerve back. I don’t know why I didn’t brake,” she said.

The trial continues.