Driver cleared over crash which killed teenage girl

A MOTORIST who denied racing another driver has been cleared of causing the death of a teenage girl.

Amy Louise Walker, 17, of Queensway, Pontefract, was killed when the car in which she was a passenger went on to the opposite side of the road in Ackton Lane, Featherstone, and crashed into an oncoming vehicle.

Her driver, Joshua Wraith, has admitted causing the death of the teenager on September 13 last year and is awaiting sentence.

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Yesterday, a jury at Leeds Crown Court found Shaun Bastow, 24, of Wakefield Road, Normanton, Wakefield, not guilty of a similar offence.

The prosecution claimed he was racing Wraith before the crash and therefore his driving was a contributory factor.

The court heard Wraith had been showing off doing handbrake turns at a "cruise" at Morrisons' car park in Pontefract before a number of vehicles set off in a convoy to drive to Wakefield.

Bastow told the jury he had overtaken a couple of the vehicles and ended up behind Wraith in Ackton Lane but was not trying to catch him up.

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He saw Wraith crash into an oncoming Peugeot. Amy, his front seat passenger, died later from her injuries.

She had only just celebrated her 17th birthday and completed her first week at college. She wanted to become a special baby nurse.

Her mother Clare said after the crash: "She knew what she wanted in life – she had a goal. She will leave a big hole, not just in our lives but everyone's."

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