A 40-year-old driver, Dwane Moody, has been sentenced to over 12 years in prison for causing the death of 13-year-old Evelyn Haylock in a car crash and for attempting to obstruct justice. The incident occurred on January 31 near Ware, Hertfordshire.
Moody, who was uninsured and lacked a license, had consumed alcohol before driving a guest's car with Haylock and two other teenagers. The vehicle was reportedly driven erratically and at high speed. Shortly after leaving a party, the car veered off the road, crashing through a fence. Haylock, who was in the front passenger seat, sustained critical injuries.
While the two other teenagers administered first aid and called emergency services, Moody allegedly pressured them to fabricate a story for the police, claiming another vehicle forced them off the road. He then left the scene before returning with the car's owner and again threatening one of the teenagers to lie. Police arrested Moody at the scene; he was unharmed and taken into custody after a brief hospital check.
Evelyn Haylock was airlifted to a hospital but died from her injuries on February 4. The other two teenagers were treated for minor injuries.
Detective Constable Lewis Stanley of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit stated that Moody's actions were "reckless and selfish." He highlighted Moody's attempt to evade responsibility by pressuring minors to lie while they were trying to save Haylock. The officer commended the bravery of the teenage witnesses who endured a "hugely traumatic ordeal."
In a statement read in court, Evelyn's mother described her daughter as someone who "absolutely loved life" and brought an "infectious energy." She lamented that her daughter's laughter was silenced and her "entire universe shattered."
Evelyn's father referred to her as the "light of all our worlds" and the strongest link in their family chain. He expressed that the family continues to hold onto her memory.
Moody pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured, and causing death while not in accordance with a license. He was also found guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice and aggravated taking of a vehicle without consent. In addition to the 12-year and 8-month custodial sentence, Moody received a driving ban of 17 years and four months.
