Teenage girl dies in drivers' 'gauntlet' challenge, jury told

Amy Louise Walker had only just celebrated her 17th birthday when she died of her injuries from the collision in Ackton Lane, Featherstone on September 13 last year.

Richard Clews, prosecuting, told the Leeds Crown Court trial of

motorist Shaun Bastow yesterday that he took up the challenge from Miss Walker's driver Joshua Wraith whom witnesses estimate was travelling at 70 to 80mph on the wrong side of the road before their car struck a Peugeot 205.

Bastow denies any involvement in the incident.

Earlier on in their journey, Mr Clews told the court, a number of drivers travelled in an unofficial convoy from a car park "cruise" in Pontefract intending to go to a cinema in Wakefield and there was some overtaking and "jockeying for position" among them.

He told the jury: "What we say is that a spirit of rivalry, of competition seems to have grown between the drivers."

He claimed that included Bastow, whose Volkswagen Golf GTI overtook some of the other vehicles in Park Lane following Wraith and another driver who had pulled ahead.

Mr Clews said the other driver turned off at a crossroad but Wraith had his arm out of his driver's window indicating with a gesture to those behind him to go straight on.

"You may think that in effect was the gauntlet being thrown down, and it is the prosecution case that Shaun Bastow, who by then was behind Wraith, responded."

Bastow, 24, of Wakefield Road, Normanton, denies causing the death by dangerous driving of Miss Walker of Queensway, Pontefract. Mr Clews told the jury Wraith has already admitted a similar charge and is awaiting sentence.

He said although Bastow's vehicle did not hit anything it was the Crown's case his driving was a contributory factor in the death, falling far below the standard expected of a "competent and careful driver."

Earlier that Sunday evening both Wraith and Bastow were allegedly among other young drivers who gathered for the "Pontefract cruise" at Morrison's Supermarket car park in Pontefract after the store closed for the day.

According to a cousin of Miss Walker, who was also in Wraith's car, there were about 20 to 30 drivers present when, said Mr Clews, Wraith "appears to have decided to show off."

He began driving up and down at some speed, performing "donuts" which were handbrake turns leaving circle marks on the ground.

About 7.30pm there was a suggestion about going to Cineworld in Wakefield which caught on and led to an "informal convoy" of vehicles setting off from Liquorice Way.

Miss Walker's cousin estimated Wraith was doing up to 80mph in Ackton Lane.

She would say she was petrified and that he had ignored several

requests from Amy to slow down.

When he lost control he slewed sideways across the road on to the opposite site and collided with the Peugeot.

Another witness described seeing what he thought was a plume of smoke from the collision which was actually debris from the crash, following which firemen had to cut the roof off Wraith's MG to get to those inside.

Mr Clews said it was the Crown's case that Bastow had been very close behind Wraith's car before that point but was able to drive past the scene on the correct side of the road.

The trial continues.