Sheffield man jailed for killing woman in head-on crash while overtaking and reaching speeds of 95mph
“Her death is like a black hole sucking life out of everything”
A Sheffield man has been jailed for killing a woman in a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
George Firth, aged 28, of St Anthony Road, Crookes, was on his way to the Peak District with a friend on Sunday, September 24, 2023, driving at speeds of up to 95 miles per hour.
Both he and his pal had consumed cannabis and one bottle of beer on the morning of the crash.
Tragedy struck when the killer driver was speeding on the A57 Manchester Road and overtook Emma Mackenzie, 28, of Crossfield Road in Hessle, near Hull, who was also speeding after overtaking another car.
Firth then collided head on with Anna-Marie Edmunds, who was travelling in the opposite direction towards Sheffield.
Anna-Marie had a seven-year-old daughter.
Laura Marshall, prosecuting, told the court Firth was “tailgating” Mackenzie, and when he did manage to overtake her, he collided with Anna-Marie - a wife, sister and mother.
The incident happened at approximately 3.30pm, in the Rivelin Valley, after a sharp left hand bend in Hollow Meadows, where the speed limit is 50 miles per hour.
Both Firth and Mackenzie overtook a “slow” car on a long straight where “visibility was good,” Sheffield Crown Court heard.
Mackenzie was driving at speeds of 75 to 78 miles per hour at the time but did slow down before the bend.
Firth followed but collided with a car coming in the opposite direction.
Miss Marshall, prosecuting, said: “Firth had the opportunity to negotiate the left hand bend safely and abort the overtaking manoeuvre - but he didn’t.”
Anna-Marie suffered fatal injuries in the horror crash and her passenger sustained injuries including a fractured pelvis.
The court heard that her passenger’s life had “changed fundamentally” with the trauma having “lasting effects” on his family life and finances.
Killer driver Firth was injured in the crash and his friend suffered serious abdominal and bowel injuries.
In a statement provided by Firth’s passenger, he said: “My life remains on hold.
“I know I was fortunate to survive - surviving is not the same as getting my life back.”
Alex Stein, defending Firth, told the court that he pleaded guilty at “the first opportunity” and that he was “genuinely sorry for the hurt he has caused”.
He was trying to pull in after his overtake manoeuvre but couldn’t because of “the positioning of Mackenzie,” the court heard.
Bill Baker, defending Mackenzie, told the court this incident was “strikingly out of character” for her, and told the judge she is “the sole carer of her seven-year-old son”.
The impact of Anna-Marie’s death has been "catastrophic" and “devastating” for her friends and family, the court heard.
Her husband of 23 years, Paul, said in a victim impact statement: “Her death is like a black hole sucking life out of everything - I lost my life partner”.
The court heard that if he was to “see the world end, it would be a relief”.
Miss Marshall also read a statement from Anna-Marie’s friend, Rachel, who described her as someone with an “infectious energy” and a “zest for life”.
She said: “Life will never be the same again”.
Judge Charles Aubrey Morgan said: “It is clear that the death of Anna was devastating.”
Addressing Firth, he said he was driving at a “very dangerous speed”, that he made the decision to get into his car and “drive in that state”.
Firth was sentenced to eight years and four months imprisonment at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, October 13 for causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury.
He has also been banned from driving for 10 years and six months.
Mackenzie was sentenced to a 12 month community order for dangerous driving, and she must complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
She was disqualified from driving for 12 months.