We'll learn from Dearne triple death crash, pledges police chief

A POLICE chief has promised that lessons will be learned as a result of crash which killed three Dearne Valley teenagers.

Chief Insp Stuart Walne was speaking after a teenager was found guilty of dangerous driving on the evening of a collision which resulted in the deaths of three young people on Adwick Road, Mexborough, in December 2010.

Daniel Cotton was ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work by District Judge Jonathan Bennett following a day-long trial at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday.

The head of South Yorkshire Police’s Road Policing Group, said: “The collision was a tragic incident which left the immediate families devastated and was felt by the whole community.

“The conclusion of this associated trial marks the closure of the prosecution proceedings and is a significant stage in moving forward but does not reduce the loss and our thoughts remain foremost with those most affected.

“We will look to take learning from everything that has happened and work with the community and partners to prevent others suffering in the same way.”

Cotton, (19), of Harlington Road, Mexborough, was driving a Vauxhall Astra which overtook a silver Fiat Punto as the vehicles travelled out of Mexborough towards Adwick-upon-Dearne on the evening of the accident.

A silver Vauxhall Corsa also tried overtaking the Punto, but as the car tried to complete the manoeuvre, the Corsa collided head-on with a VW Golf travelling in the opposite direction.

The collision, which happened just after 8pm near to the junction with Crow Tree Lane, resulted in the deaths of Corsa driver, Jonathan Scott, (17), of Conisbrough, front-seat passenger, Robert Tepper, (17), of Mexborough, and rear-seat passenger, Lauren Birkett, (16), from Mexborough.

Another rear-seat passenger, 16-year-old Mexborough girl Chloe Newby, suffered life-threatening injuries but survived the collision.

A police spokeswoman said: “The judge told Cotton that he was not accused of causing the fatal collision but said that he had been driving faster than the 30mph speed limit and was too close to the car in front, in essence that he had been driving dangerously some distance prior to the collision.”

Cotton, who received a reference from Robert Tepper’s mum, Tracey Tepper, and who had no previous convictions, was ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work, fined £600 costs and disqualified from driving for 15 months, after which he must complete an extended driving test.

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