FENLAND: Learner driver jailed over death crash
AN unaccompanied learner driver, who had only 15 lessons, killed a pensioner when her car collided as she tried to overtake on a busy road. Monica Dasilva, 28, of Anne Road, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire admitted causing death by dangerous driving on the A4
AN unaccompanied learner driver, who had only 15 lessons, killed a pensioner when her car collided as she tried to overtake on a busy road.
Monica Dasilva, 28, of Anne Road, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire admitted causing death by dangerous driving on the A47 at Clenchwarton.
She was sentenced to 16 months in prison for causing a death by dangerous driving.
The collision happened at 1pm on Saturday March 1 and resulted in the death of 70-year-old Ethel Winterbottom from Tydd St Mary,
Her husband, Derek, 73, suffered two broken ankles and a broken leg.
DaSilva and her six-year-old daughter also sustained serious injuries.
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The collision happened when DaSilva went to overtake a car, but she lost control and spun into the opposite carriageway.
Police said the collision resulted in Dasilva's red Citroen ZX colliding with the front of the elderly couples silver Chevrolet.
Sgt Peter Howlett, who led the investigation, later discovered that DaSilva had not only been travelling at speeds well above the speed limit, but had also been driving unsupervised on a provisional driving licence at the time of the collision.
Following DaSilva`s conviction and sentencing at Norwich Crown Court, Sgt Howlett said: "This collision should not have happened.
"Drivers with provisional driving licences are required to be supervised because they are normally inexperienced, this case has highlighted how important this supervision is, the judge passed comment on how this aspect of her driving aggravated the offence."
Dasilva was also disqualified from driving for 5 years and will need to take an extended driving test.
