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Driver Jailed for Fatal 63mph Crash That Killed Student Walking Her Dog

Police called the high-speed collision entirely avoidable.

Overview

  • Danielle Mitten, 34, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after hitting 20-year-old Lucy Atkins in Birmingham’s Quinton district.
  • She received a sentence of five years and four months in prison, a driving ban of seven years and eight months, and must pass an extended test before driving again.
  • Investigators found Mitten had reached up to 82mph in a 40mph zone and struck Lucy at about 63mph.
  • Lucy Atkins, a Cardiff University business management student, and the family’s Lakeland Terrier, Simba, were killed on West Boulevard on June 24 last year.
  • Her family described her as a “force of nature” and said her brother forgave the driver, expressing hope that public awareness will deter dangerous speeding.