Relatives pay tribute to man who died in A14 crash
It follows a driver being sentenced at Northampton Crown Court
The family of a man who died in a collision on the A14 have paid tribute to him after the driver responsible for his death was jailed.
Jacob Crawshaw, aged 19 and of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, was the front seat passenger of a work van being driven by colleague Christopher Hicks, aged 44, on the westbound carriageway at around 4.50am on Sunday October 17 2021.
As Hicks drove the silver Volkswagen Crafter between junctions 11 and 10, he failed to react to a slower moving Volvo lorry ahead of him, colliding with the back of it and causing catastrophic damage to the passenger side of his van, killing Jacob instantly.
An investigation was launched by Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU), which saw Hicks arrested and later charged with causing Jacob’s death by dangerous driving.
Hicks, of Andrew Road, Eynesbury, St Neots, first appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on January 9, 2023, with the case then sent to Northampton Crown Court.
He went on to enter a guilty plea to one count of causing death by careless driving, and at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, February 29, Hicks was sent to prison for 30 weeks and banned from driving for three years and 15 weeks.
During sentencing, Jacob’s father James read a moving victim personal statement in which he described the devastating impact of the loss of his ‘amazing’ son on his family and friends.
He said: “On that Sunday morning police officers arrived to tell that us Jacob had been killed at the scene of a road traffic collision. I fell to my knees as my world crumbled before me in disbelief and immense pain. Our lives were turned upside down in an instant and nothing prepared us for the heartache, anguish, grief, disbelief, anger, distress and trauma we felt.
“Our perfect family of five has been torn apart by the loss of our amazing Jakey… We are cruelly taunted by anniversaries, Christmases, New Years, Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day, family and friends’ birthdays. The knowledge of his absence… cuts deep like a gaping wound.”
Following sentencing, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Janette Maitland, of SCIU, said: “Jacob Crawshaw was a much-loved young man with a bright future ahead of him, but that future was snatched away by the failure of Christopher Hicks to drive safely and responsibly.
“That October morning he was driving over the speed limit that applied to his work van, and the concerning manner of his driving before the collision prompted Jacob to message a friend about it.
“Just 10 minutes later, Hicks failed to see the lorry he was approaching, take any safe avoiding action or even to brake before he hit it, and Jacob paid for this with his life.
“I would like to thank Jacob’s family for their support during our investigation, and I very much hope that they and his wide circle of friends can take some small comfort from knowing Hicks has admitted responsibility for the devastation he has caused and will spend time in prison as a result.”