Driver jailed for more than seven years after fatal crash near Leeds
A 22-year-old motorist from Sherburn-in-Elmet has been handed a lengthy prison sentence for causing the death of a motorcyclist in a dangerous overtaking crash.
On the afternoon of May 27, 2024, a white Renault Clio driven by Matthew Hull, 22, collided head-on with a motorcycle on the B1222 near Sherburn-in-Elmet.
The bike was being ridden by 65-year-old Stephen Jackson, who tragically died at the scene.
A police investigation found Hull began an overtake in a no-overtaking zone of a stretch of road with limited visibility due to a hidden dip and crest. At the moment of impact, his vehicle was completely in the wrong lane, North Yorkshire Police said.
Hull later admitted in interview that he had become impatient and made a “stupid takeover”. He also conceded that his driving was far below the standard expected of a careful driver.
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at York Magistrates’ Court on March 4 of this year. Today (Monday), he was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison.
TC Gemma Brett of North Yorkshire Police described the crash as “tragic”, saying one wrong decision led to fatal consequences.
“This case was a tragic one. Because of an unnecessary, avoidable and dangerous manoeuvre, a man has lost his life. That single moment has resulted in profound and long-lasting devastation for Mr Jackson’s loved ones,” she said.
In a written statement to the court, Mr Jackson’s widow, Janet Coster, paid tribute to her husband as her “best friend and soulmate”.
“The impact of that loss is impossible to measure. It has changed the very essence of who I am and has affected every part of my life,” she added.
“The love, guidance, and presence Steve would have continued to give as a husband, father, brother, and grandfather have been taken away forever.
“I live with grief every day and with a future that no longer resembles the one we planned together.
“No statement can fully convey the depth of what has been taken from me, but I hope this helps the court understand that the consequences of Steve’s death did not end on the day it happened – they continue, and they will continue for the rest of my life.”