A disqualified driver who killed his passenger in a car crash and then lied to police has been jailed. Levi Baxter, 21, was driving a black Skoda Fabia along West End in Wilburton at about 9.50am on October 25 when he lost control on a corner.
The car crashed into a tree on the passenger side, leaving 19-year-old Ben Bland with serious injuries. Mr Bland, from Cambridge, was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where he died two days later.
Baxter, who suffered minor injuries, told police officers he was a rear seat passenger, and said that the driver had run off. However, officers began to doubt his story after they found the Skoda car keys on him, so he was arrested.
Further checks found the Skoda had no insurance and Baxter had previously been disqualified from driving. In hospital, he told doctors he was driving the car and admitted driving in a police interview, saying there had been mud on the road which caused him to lose control.
Baxter, of Cunningham Close, Arbury, Cambridge, was jailed for four years and six months on Tuesday (January 14). He pleaded guilty to causing death by driving whilst disqualified.
Baxter also pleaded guilty to causing death by driving whilst uninsured and causing death by driving whilst unlicensed, for which he received no separate penalty. He was also banned from driving until February 2035.
Detective Sergeant Shona Birkby, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Whilst this sentence will never compensate for the loss felt by Ben’s family, I hope justice being done sends a message that we will prosecute those who drive dangerously in Cambridgeshire. Thank you to everyone who played a part in this case and our thoughts continue to be with Ben, his family and friends.”
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