Teenage woman handed suspended sentence for dangerous driving

A 19-year-old woman who drove dangerously through residential streets in Corby after failing to stop for police officers has received a suspended sentence and banned from driving for 12 months.

Officers from Northamptonshire Police’s Roads Policing Team spotted the occupants of a silver VW Golf acting suspiciously in Corby Old Village shortly after midnight on Monday, July 24, and followed the car towards the town centre.

As the Golf travelled towards Gainsborough Road, via George Street, a second police car took over and activated blue lights and sirens to indicate for the driver to stop however, instead of pulling over, Jolene Crawford accelerated and drove off a speed.

Officers continued to follow Crawford as she drove along Oakley Road and entered the Exeter Estate on Cecil Drive, driving dangerously on the wrong side of the road and reaching speeds of more than 50mph in the residential area.

Crawford lost control of the car and crashed into a curb at the junction of Burghley Drive and Buckfast Square before ramming the front of a police car, causing extensive damage, in a bid to evade capture.

The front seat passenger ran off and has never been identified, while Crawford was arrested in the driving seat. She was subsequently charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop when directed, driving otherwise in accordance with a licence and without third party insurance.

On Wednesday, October 17, at Northampton Crown Court, Crawford, of Rockingham Road, Corby, pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 24 months.

She was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, 30 days of rehabilitation activity, disqualified from driving for 12 months and must pass an extended driving test.

Arresting officer PC Chris Lock of the Roads Policing Team said: “Jolene Crawford showed a complete disregard for the safety of herself, her passenger and other innocent road users and it was only by sheer luck that no-one was injured by her dangerous driving.

“Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on the county’s roads continues to be a priority for our team, and so I am pleased that the courts have helped to remove another irresponsible and illegal driver from our roads.”

Tragically in 2022, after being involved in a road collision in Northamptonshire, 36 people never returned home safely. Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains a priority for the Force and our partners at the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance.