Driver lost control of sports car and killed friend on wet road

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A driver who lost control of a sports car and crashed into an oncoming vehicle killed his passenger and friend almost instantly, a court has heard.

Matthew Roberts, 29, collided with a car containing a couple and their baby. The mother suffered serious injuries including a fractured spine, the infant child was unhurt in the incident, reports Wales Online.Despite a comprehensive police probe - which included sending electronic components from the car back to the manufacturer in Japan to be analysed - it remains known why Matthew Roberts lost control of the Mazda, but it is believed speed and the wet road surface both played a part.The mother of the deceased said that the family did not blame Roberts for the "sad accident" and asked the court not to punish him, saying: "We have all lost as a result of this tragic incident".However, a judge said he had a public duty to perform, and the offending was so serious only immediate custody was fitting.

He also went on to say that drivers needed to be reminded that when they got behind the wheel they were taking not just their own life in their hands but the lives of others too.Prosecutor, James Hartson, told Swansea Crown Court that the crash happened on the evening of October 20, 2021, on the road between Cimla in Neath and Pontrhydyfen and the Afan Valley.

He said Roberts was at the wheel of his friend Christopher Howells' Mazda MX5 that night, and his friend was seated as a passenger alongside him.The court heard the Mazda was being driven up the hill out of Pontrhydyfen and towards Cimla when, just after negotiating a bend, Roberts lost control and the vehicle veered across the carriageway straight into the path of an oncoming Ford Fiesta with the couple and their baby