A12 crash: Driver sentenced for causing Charlotte Oakes's death

5 July 2021

News image — Charlotte Oakes was "generous, hard-working and always fun to be around", her family said in tribute

Suffolk Police Charlotte Oakes — Charlotte Oakes was "generous, hard-working and always fun to be around", her family said in tribute

A driver found guilty of causing the death of her passenger by careless driving has been issued with a community order.

Charlotte Oakes, 22, from Westleton in Suffolk, died in the crash on the A12 near Southwold in October 2018.

The Peugeot 206, driven by Chelcie Lavery, now 24, of High Street, Leiston, hit a car on the opposite carriageway and ended up in a field.

Lavery was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court earlier.

Suffolk Police said Lavery was driving her shortly before 18:00 BST on 17 October 2018 when her car crossed the central line of the A12 at Frostenden, near the junction with Gypsy Lane, and struck an Isuzu D-Max travelling in the other direction.

Her friend Miss Oakes died at the scene.

Lavery was airlifted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with injuries after the crash, while the male driver of the Isuzu received minor cuts and bruises.

On 6 May Lavery was found guilty of causing the death of Miss Oakes by careless driving.

Sentencing her to a 12-month community order and a six-month overnight curfew, Judge Emma Peters told Lavery "a period of momentary inattention led to a catastrophic outcome".

"It seems likely your driving inexperience was a contributory factor," she said.

Lavery was also banned from driving for three years, ordered to take an extended retest, and pay costs of £2,000.

The judge described the death of Miss Oakes as "an undeniable tragedy", and praised the "grace and dignity" her family had shown throughout the proceedings.