A drug driver who fatally struck a mother crossing the road after consuming cannabis edibles has been jailed. Jake Bolton, 36, was driving home from work when he hit Himabindu Yadla, known as Bindu, as she crossed Tramway Lane in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire.
Bolton had twice the legal limit of cannabis in his blood, having consumed edibles the weekend prior to the incident, and also tested positive for cocaine. He was also sleep-deprived and officers found 6g of cannabis in a first-aid box in his car. Ms. Yadla, 37, was thrown into the air and sustained a brain injury. She remained on life support for 18 days before passing away at Royal Preston Hospital on November 11. Bolton had been speaking on the phone at the time of the crash and was heard by a witness to say, "Oh no, I've just hit someone."
In a 999 call made immediately after the collision, Bolton told the operator he did not know if Ms. Yadla was breathing, stating, "I've just run somebody over. She was just in the middle of the road." He stopped his vehicle and cooperated with police, admitting responsibility to a bus driver who also stopped at the scene. Another motorist observed that it appeared Bolton had not seen Ms. Yadla, describing it as if she had "tunnel vision."
Bolton pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, driving with cannabis above the legal limit, driving without valid insurance, and possession of a Class B drug.
Ms. Yadla's brother, Hemanth, shared in a victim impact statement that she had come to the UK from India to build a better life for herself and her eight-year-old daughter, who was living with her grandparents. Ms. Yadla had earned a Master's degree in international business management and was preparing for her daughter to join her in the UK. Her brother stated that her death was sudden and traumatic, leaving a significant void for her family, particularly her daughter.
Representing Bolton, Kris Cavanagh noted that his client's remorse and guilt had persisted for two years and that he recognized no sentence could fully compensate for the loss. Cavanagh stated that Bolton used cannabis for self-medication following trauma and is a family man with a strong work ethic, abstaining from alcohol and drugs since the incident.
Judge Robert Altham described Ms. Yadla as a strong, intelligent, and competent woman who had overcome significant adversity, including childhood polio, to establish a successful life and career in the UK. He highlighted her dedication as a mother and daughter, working hard to secure a better future for her family. The judge emphasized the profound loss of a "remarkable life" and the abandonment of plans to bring her daughter to the UK.
Despite acknowledging Bolton's remorse and positive attributes highlighted in references and a pre-sentence report, the judge stated that choosing to drive under the influence of cannabis was not a "decent act" and represented an "unwarranted and avoidable risk." Ms. Yadla was considered a vulnerable road user due to her slower walking pace resulting from childhood polio.
Bolton was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison for causing death by driving without due care while unfit through drugs. He received a six-year driving ban. Bolton was granted an absolute discharge for possession of cannabis, with no separate penalty for drug driving and driving without insurance.
