Man jailed for causing death of “much-loved” woman in collision

A 31-year-old man has been jailed for careless driving which led to the death of a “much-loved” 83-year-old woman.

Beryl Howard (pictured above) died after she was struck by a Transit van, driven by Reece McKinven, in Green Lane Avenue, Street, at just before 5.20pm on Thursday 16 March, 2023.

McKinven, of Pearmain Road in Street, ran over Beryl several times as he was attempting to reverse the vehicle, leaving her with unsurvivable injuries and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

When officers arrested McKinven (pictured below), he was found in possession of 0.5g of cannabis. Although he had cannabis in his system, the level was not above the legal limit. A further search of his van after it was seized resulted in more cannabis being found.

Following an investigation, he was charged with causing death by careless driving, causing death by driving a vehicle without a licence, causing death by driving a vehicle without insurance, and possession of a class B drug (cannabis).

He admitted the offences and was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 28 January) to 13 months in prison. He’s also been banned from driving for two-and-a-half years.

Judge Cook said: “I accept that you genuinely failed to realise Beryl Howard was behind you, but your van had wing mirrors with an enhanced blind spot and she was there to be seen.

“You have a history of offences and it shows a cavalier attitude to driving.”

Beryl’s son Ray Howard said in a statement: “Beryl was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who brought immense joy and love to all who knew her. Her sudden and brutal death has left our family shattered. Knowing that McKinven was driving without a licence, without insurance, and after consuming illegal drugs only deepens our heartbreak and anger at the entirely preventable nature of this tragedy.

“McKinven was fully aware that he was on the road illegally and showed complete disregard for the law and the safety of others; despite knowing he had struck something, he continued to drive his vehicle over Beryl a further three times.

“We are grateful that someone sat with her whilst she died, otherwise she would have been on her own in her last few minutes of life.

“We would like to thank all those who have supported us through this difficult time and ask for privacy as we continue to grieve and remember Beryl for the wonderful person she was.”

Beryl’s daughter Sharon Perry said her family were “devastated” by the loss of Beryl, who was “loved so very much”.

She added: “It has been so much harder as she suffered such a horrific death. It is so hard to bear thinking of the pain and terror she must have felt. We are very grateful to the members of the public who comforted her at the scene.

“We are a close family and saw Beryl almost every day. She is greatly missed. We will never get over what happened to her.”

Investigating officer Dai Nicholas said: “This has been an extremely distressing case for Beryl’s family and our thoughts and sympathies are very much with them.

“We want to thank those who helped at the scene of this incident, as well as the witnesses who provided statements, which ultimately helped in our efforts to achieve a successful conviction in this case.”