Disqualified Driver Jailed for 10 Years After Fatal Crash

A disqualified driver has been jailed for 10 years after a crash near Lutterworth claimed the life of an 18-year-old woman and left three others seriously injured.

Jack Reape, 31, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while disqualified and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The crash happened on Friday 15 December 2023 on the A426 Rugby Road in Cotesbach, when Reape was driving a Citroen C3 towards Coventry and crossed the central line, colliding head-on with an oncoming Mercedes CLK.

Front seat passenger Chloe Pearson, from Castleford in West Yorkshire, suffered a serious head injury and died in hospital two days later.

Her twin sister Abigale Pearson, who was travelling in the back of the Citroen, suffered life-threatening injuries including internal bleeding and a fractured collarbone.

Abigale Pearson (left) was injured in the same crash that fatally injured her sister Chloe (right)

Reape, of Townley Road, Wakefield, also suffered serious injuries and spent several weeks in hospital, while two other passengers in the Citroen suffered minor injuries.

The two occupants of the Mercedes also suffered serious, life-changing injuries which continue to affect their mobility.

At the time of the collision, Reape was already banned from driving and only held an expired provisional licence.

He has also been disqualified from driving for 12 years and will have to complete an extended driving test before being able to return to the road.

The investigation was carried out by officers from Leicestershire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU).

Specialist investigators carried out a detailed forensic examination of the scene and vehicles, using collision reconstruction, vehicle damage analysis and witness accounts to build a full picture of what happened.

Officers were able to establish that Reape had driven across the central line and into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

Detective Constable Charlotte Wright, the officer in the case from the SCIU, said: “This was a deeply tragic incident which has had a devastating and lasting impact on multiple people.

“Reape should never have been behind the wheel. He was disqualified from driving and held only an expired provisional licence.

“His actions resulted in the death of an 18-year-old woman who had her whole life ahead of her and left several others with serious injuries.

“Abigale not only suffered physical injuries but has also had to endure the unimaginable loss of her twin sister. Our thoughts remain with her and the rest of the family.

“This investigation has taken more than two and a half years to complete. Thanks to the work of specialist officers and the strength of evidence gathered, Reape pleaded guilty and spared those involved the added distress of a trial.

“I hope this case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that dangerous driving can have. When you get behind the wheel, you carry a responsibility not only for your own safety, but for those travelling with you and also other road users.”