Man jailed for causing the death of a 40-year-old mother of three

A dangerous and drunk driver who fled from the scene of a collision in Grantham has been sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison.

Ashley Towning was almost four times over the legal limit and under the influence of drugs when his vehicle mounted a kerb, hitting Lijuan Wu and her two daughters.

It was also highly likely that he was using his phone when the collision happened just before 6.40pm on Thursday, 8 August. He bolted leaving his car and the devastating scene behind him.

Read more below.

Mrs Wu and her two daughters were walking along Barrowby Road in Grantham when they were hit from behind by Towning’s car. Mrs Wu sadly died at the scene. Mrs Wu and her children should never have been in danger as they walked home.

Towning, 30, from Winchester Road, Grantham, was sentenced today (Monday 28 October) after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving over the legal limit and failing to stop at the scene of a collision. He was also banned from driving for 10 years and four months.

Before the collision, 40-year-old Mrs Wu and her daughters were walking along the pavement on Barrowby Road. Mrs Wu was in the middle of the three of them. It was her eldest daughter’s birthday and they had been to Nottingham for the day. They were walking home from the train station and about half a mile from the safety of their home when the collision happened. The two girls were injured but not seriously.

Towning mounted the kerb to his left-hand side as he drove his black Nissan Juke along the road and by the railway bridge into Grantham.

Witnesses said they saw and heard Towning’s car accelerating loudly before it hit the kerb and mounted the pavement, the car looked to be out of control. They said the driver did not make any attempt to steer back into the road.

Mrs Wu and her two girls had their backs to the car as they were hit. Towning’s car stopped as it hit a streetlamp which then toppled over.

Having stumbled out of the car Towning said that he hadn’t meant to do it and then ran off. He was chased by a witness who also took photographs of the fleeing driver.

Towning disappeared but he had left behind his driving licence and two bottles of vodka; one was empty.

Having run back to his home Towning was then located by our officers 11 minutes later, hiding under his dining room table.

He was still in the red shorts he had been seen wearing as he fled the collision but had taken his orange top off; he had ditched the top as he ran away. It was found between the collision scene and his house.

Analysis of his breath and blood taken just under four hours after the collision found he was almost four times over the legal drink drive limit and had cocaine, benzoylecgonine and cannabis in his system. He had 127 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

Det Sgt James Perring, from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Towning has shown no remorse at all, he fled from the scene like a coward. He was drunk and his driving was affected by the alcohol and drugs he had taken.

"It is unbelievable that he chose to get behind a wheel in his stupor, his complete disregard for the safety of anyone is beyond comprehension. Add to that he was also highly likely to have been on his mobile phone when he drove up the kerb and into the family of three. There is no sentence or sense of judgement that will ever equate to the sadness and tragedy Towning has left behind in his mindless drunken wake.

"I hope he finds a conscience and never drives again. The death of Mrs Wu has left her family utterly bereft. What happened in front of her two young daughters, one who was celebrating her birthday, will never ever be forgotten by them. Our thoughts are with the family today."