Motorist, 21, killed woman in crash after speeding while using phone

This is the moment a 21-year-old motorist ploughed into another car after speeding through a red light while on her mobile phone, leaving a young woman dead.

Molly Mycroft, 21, was driving her Seat Ibiza at 78mph in a 40mph zone when she ploughed into a BMW, killing Sarah Oliver, 20, who was a passenger in the BMW, and leaving two others seriously injured.

A court heard Mycroft ignored a traffic light which had been on red for six seconds when the smash happened in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in August 2022. Footage obtained by police also showed her on her mobile phone laughing and joking while music blared in the car prior to the fatal collision.

Mycroft has now been jailed for nine years and disqualified from driving for 16 years at Sheffield Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and seriously injuring the two passengers.

In a statement, Sarah Oliver’s family said she was missed every day. They said: "She was a beautiful young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. Sarah had the ability to light up a room.

"She loved spending time with her family and was looking forward to travelling and becoming a Godmother to her best friend’s baby this summer.

"She died six days before her 21st birthday and while we should have been planning celebrations, we were instead planning a funeral; her life and our lives were taken away from us by selfish actions."

A tragic case

Sergeant John Taylor, of South Yorkshire Police's Serious Collisions Investigations Unit, said: "No family should have to go through what we have endured. This is a tragic case.

"The actions of Mycroft showed no regards for the safety of others and resulted in the death of Sarah and two other motorists sustaining serious injuries"

"We know Mycroft was using her mobile phone whilst driving and that she was speeding at the time of the collision. I urge people to consider the consequences of these actions."

What are the laws on using your mobile phone while driving?

According to the government website, it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat-nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorbike. This means you can't have a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline, so you can't text, make calls, take photos or videos, or browse the internet.

The law still applies when you're stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic, or even if you're holding a device that is offline or in flight mode. It also applies if you're supervising a learner driver or driving a car that turns off the engine when you stop moving.

The only exceptions, according to the government website, are if you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop, or if you're safely parked. It's also okay to hold your phone if you're making a contactless payment in a vehicle that is not moving, for example at a drive-through restaurant, or using the device to park your vehicle remotely.

You can use devices with hands-free access, but you can't hold them. According to the government website, hands-free includes using a Bluetooth headset; voice command; a dashboard holder or mat; a windscreen mount or a built-in sat-nav.

Read more

• Over 600,000 UK drivers 'one touch of their phone' away from disqualification (Bournemouth Echo)

• Thames Valley Police takes part in trial to identify driving offences (Oxford Mail)

• Bin lorry driver caught using mobile phone while behind the wheel (Swindon Advertiser)