Woman who died after drink-driver fled police unlawfully killed, inquest finds

Independent

4 hours ago

The heartbroken mother of a woman who died after a drunk driver fled from police at speeds of over 100mph has called for motorists who are involved in fatal crashes while under the influence to be stripped of their licences.
The call was made by Debbie Clack on Friday after a coroner ruled that her daughter Lillie, 22, who was injured and died days after the crash in the early hours of Christmas Day 2021, was unlawfully killed.
The kitchen designer, of Morden, south London, was among six people who squeezed into the overcrowded Mercedes driven by Charlie Hilton, 25, who was chased by police before the car hit a tree, flipped over and burst into flames in Carshalton.
Assistant coroner for London South, Sebastian Naughton, said the evidence showed Hilton's actions could be considered as gross negligence as he fled police reaching over 100mph at some points in the chase, carried out an illegal U-turn and ran a red a light as passengers inside the car begged him to stop.
After the finding sitting at South London Coroner's Court, Lillie's mother said: 'Lillie went through a horrific ordeal and we are continuing to live through this every day.'
She added: 'Hilton killed my daughter.
'He pleaded guilty to causing her death by dangerous driving while more than twice the legal alcohol limit, running from the police, refusing to stop, losing control of his car, and crashing into a tree.
'That crash caused a bleed on Lillie's brain. Damage so severe that her heart stopped beating three days later on December 28 2021. She was just 22. My baby girl.
'If going through today's pain means something changes, if it shines a light on what went wrong and stops even one other family from feeling this kind of grief, then it was worth it.
'It cannot be right that any driver involved in a fatal crash gets to go home still carrying their licence in their pocket. It is also the case that too often those convicted of injuring people by their dangerous driving can one day return to the road.
'What happened to Lillie, her family, friends and the whole community, has to mean something. We all need to believe that lessons will be learned.'
She is calling for lifetime driving bans for anyone convicted of causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence and tougher penalties for dangerous drivers.
The friends had been enjoying a Winter Wonderland attraction and visited a pub in Morden before accepting a lift home from Hilton.
Residents in Beeches Avenue, Carshalton grabbed fire extinguishers and rushed to help after the crash.
In February 2023, Hilton was jailed at the Old Bailey for 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to causing Miss Clack's death by dangerous driving, three counts of causing serious injury, failing to stop when directed and driving above the alcohol limit.
The coroner suggested Hilton 'possibly knew he was in trouble due to the number of people in his vehicle', that the U-turn was 'practically inviting the police to pursue' and he would have known he was over the alcohol limit to drive.
He 'made no effort to ascertain' if his passengers were wearing their seatbelts.
The coroner said: 'Mr Hilton was properly directed to stop by police and decided not to so.
'He decided to evade capture and drove at high speeds before the collision occurred.'
In his findings the coroner said: 'Despite repeated requests from passengers throughout the pursuit to slow down or stop, the driver of the Mercedes would not stop or slow down after the police were no longer in pursuit of the Mercedes.'
The Mercedes was travelling at approximately 70mph – in a 30mph speed zone – just seconds before the car went over a raised pedestrian crossing.
The coroner said: 'The driver of the Mercedes lost control of the vehicle, was weaving before striking kerbs on both sides of the road and leaving the carriageway, striking a tree and the Mercedes.
'Lillie sustained serious chest and head injuries in the collision.
'Due to the severity of her injuries there was no possible surgical intervention. Lillie deteriorated and died on 28 December 2021.
'It is not possible to say if her injuries could have been mitigated if her seatbelt had been fastened.'
Complications of a head injury was given as the cause of death in a post-mortem examination.
Hilton had been told by his passengers that a police vehicle had turned its blue lights on behind them and was indicating for him to stop, the inquest heard.
Instead, he sped up and was driving so fast that the passengers bumped their head on the roof of the car as they were chased by police.
At one point Sergeant Alexander Gill said his police car was doing 90mph in a 40mph zone and Hilton's Mercedes was 'greatly getting away'.
Police called off the chase, which lasted about three-and-a-half minutes, after losing sight of the Mercedes.
Miss Clack's boyfriend Jack Watson and best friend Delia Casey were among those who were badly hurt.
In a statement Mr Watson, who was in the back seat, remembered seeing police blue lights and sirens and described Hilton's driving as 'dangerous and quick' and thought he could 'easily lose control'.
Mr Watson later recalled: 'I think I might have said 'Charlie what are you doing, why are you going so fast'. I think the girls were in shock.'
He also remembered saying: 'Charlie, slow down. What are you doing? Let me and Lillie out.'
He recalled Hilton telling him to shut up.
Mr Watson does not remember the crash but does recall being pulled out on a stretcher and bleeding from his lip.
He added: 'I remember asking 'where's Lillie?'. I remember being in an ambulance and blood on my jacket but I do not know where the blood came from.
'My clothing was cut off from me – and I knew then that it was bad.'