Woman jailed for causing Kidderminster nurse’s death in crash ‘suffered from sleep disorder’
A woman who killed another motorist and seriously injured his passenger after potentially falling asleep at the wheel has been jailed.
Stuart Frost
Shirley Glover’s Volvo XC60 veered onto the wrong side of the A450, near Kidderminster, smashing head-on into an MG3, killing driver Stuart Frost.
Glover, aged 50, had failed to notify the DVLA that she suffered with obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition that can cause tiredness.
She had been diagnosed in 2014 and was given medical advice to avoid driving when tired. She should also have contacted the DVLA as her symptoms could affect her ability to drive safely but failed to do so.
She was jailed for two years and nine months at Hereford Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The court heard how Glover, from Stourport, had left work early on March 21 as she was not feeling well.
Despite having taken three prescription medicines that had warnings over drowsiness and driving vehicles, she got into her car to drive home.
As she approached Shenstone on the A450, her vehicle crossed the white line dividing the carriageway and collided with the car driven by nurse Mr Frost.
The crash happened between the Droitwich Island near Black Bridge and the Mustow Green Island, less than a mile from his parents’ home.
He was pronounced dead at the scene and his partner Emma, who was the front seat passenger, was taken to hospital with multiple injuries.
Crash scene investigators concluded that the collision was a result of Glover’s vehicle being on the wrong side of the road and believe she may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
When Glover’s medical records were reviewed, investigators uncovered her undisclosed condition.
As well as being jailed, she was also banned from driving for five years, and must pass an extended test before she is allowed back behind the wheel.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition that can cause breathing to slow down or stop, briefly, during sleep.
The knock-on effect for sufferers can be feeling tired.
Following the sentencing, Ian Crooks, from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said Glover had no right to be driving after taking so much medication and having a condition that made her prone to tiredness.
He said: “This prosecution highlights the consequences of failing to heed medical advice and to drive in circumstances where it may not be safe to so do.
“Shirley Glover failed to follow these instructions. She was fully aware of her obstructive sleep apnoea, yet she still got behind the wheel of her car when feeling tired.
“As a result Glover failed to control that vehicle.
“It then crossed the carriageway and into the path of the oncoming MG3 being driven by Mr Frost. The consequences of Glover’s failure to control her vehicle were devastating.”
Mr Frost, who was born in Stoke-on-Trent, had lived in Stourbridge before studying at Nottingham Trent University.
The 42-year-old joined the RAF and became a member of the Military Police.
He decided on a change of career and returned home to his family in Kidderminster to attend Worcester University.
He achieved a first-class degree in nursing. During this time there he met his partner Emma.
Mr Frost had started a new job shortly before his death, working with the home treatment team from Kidderminster Hospital.
Read more at http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2016/11/14/woman-jailed-for-causing-kidderminster-nurses-death-in-crash-suffered-from-sleep-disorder/#oyr0vTVr9IQxlk9h.99
