Driver jailed following serious collision in 2019

A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 34 months in prison after pleading guilty more than two years after his involvement in a collision in Selby.

Craig Steward, from Doncaster, was charged with Committing an act likely to pervert the course of justice, two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, Driving otherwise than in accordance with a driving licence, No insurance, Aggravated taking of a conveyance, Drink Driving and Failing to stop / report after a road traffic collision. He initially pleaded not guilty to all the offences.

On appearing at York Crown Court this week, he finally admitted his guilt, pleading guilty to perverting the course of justice and two offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.  The other offences remain on file. 

Steward’s daughter, Nicole, was charged with Perverting the Course of Justice. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

The incident happened at 3.22pm on Sunday 24 March 2019 on the A63 Selby Bypass, at the Wishing Well roundabout with the A1041 in Selby, and involved a black Hyundai Tucson, and a white Vauxhall Corsa van, driven by Craig Steward.

Both vehicles were travelling along the A63 from Barlby in the direction of Brayton.  As the Hyundai entered the roundabout, Steward tried to overtake it. 

The Corsa van struck the rear drivers’ side corner of the Hyundai, forcing it off the road and into a signpost on the traffic island at the top of the A1041, causing the occupants of the Hyundai, a husband and wife in their mid-seventies, to sustain spinal injuries.

Steward drove off, making no attempt to stop, check on the welfare of the occupants of the Hyundai, or leave his details.  He drove to his daughters’ house in Thorne where he parked the van.

The van was identified from information given by witnesses at the scene.  Police Officers attended Craig Steward’s address.  He failed a screening breath test and was arrested.

When interviewed he denied any involvement in the collision and stated that his van must have been stolen.

The van was located the following day, still parked on his daughter’s drive.  She provided a statement to Police that it had been there when she got up in the morning and did not know how it had got there or when.  Her account was proved to be false, and she was arrested for perverting the course of justice.  She subsequently pleaded guilty on her first appearance at Court.

Police enquiries proved that Craig Steward had been in York, and he had been driving home to Thorne in the Corsa van.  CCTV showed the van being driven with no damage minutes before the collision, and then minutes afterwards it was captured on CCTV with damage to the front.

Craig Steward was interviewed a second time and refused to answer any questions. 

The Officer in the case, TC Martin Hayes, said:

“Having crashed into the side of another vehicle on a roundabout, Craig Steward gave no thought to the people in the other car, in fact his only thought was for his own self-preservation, even involving his daughter to further his lie. 

“He continued with his selfish attempt to look after only himself until the very end of this case, causing even more distress to the victims in their family.

“Perverting the course of justice in this way is a serious offence, so think twice before thinking you can get away with lying to the police – you can’t.”