DRIVER JAILED FOR KILLING PENSIONER THEN ROAD RAGE YEAR LATER

Neil Jones has been jailed and stripped of his driving licence after killing a pensioner and subsequently engaging in a violent road rage incident. Linda Donnelly, aged 72, died after being struck by a Ford Focus driven by Jones as she crossed Brewster Street in Bootle, Merseyside, on 12 December 2024. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Mrs Donnelly was crossing at approximately 7.45pm and remained in the road for roughly four seconds before being struck by Jones' vehicle. Jones initially told witnesses and police that Mrs Donnelly had run in front of his car, claiming poor visibility due to darkness.

Court evidence showed Mrs Donnelly had reached the central reservation before entering the second section of the dual carriageway. A taxi driver travelling behind Jones' car reported seeing something fly into the air following the collision, whilst occupants of another vehicle administered first aid at the scene. Jones, of Morningside Road in Norris Green, presented as extremely distressed at the scene, pacing and repeating "oh my God" whilst stating he did not know what had happened. He later told a police officer he was driving normally when the woman "just ran out in front" of his car and he did not see her.

More than a year after Mrs Donnelly's death, Jones engaged in a road rage incident at Cheshire Oaks shopping centre. During this episode, he nearly struck a family and punched a man who was holding a small child, whilst another man's legs became trapped between two vehicles, leaving him screaming in pain. The court heard this constituted further reckless driving behaviour rather than any expression of remorse for the fatal collision.