Teenager jailed for causing death by dangerous driving – Felixstowe

A teenager whose dangerous driving caused the death of a woman in her 70s in Felixstowe has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Lewis Meadows, 19, of Cliff Road, Felixstowe, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court today, Friday 14 November, having pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing on 9 September.

In addition to the prison sentence, Meadows was also disqualified from driving for seven years.

Emergency services were called shortly after 2.30pm on Tuesday 19 November last year, to reports of a collision between a white Nissan GTR and a female pedestrian on Church Road.

Police, ambulance, East Anglian Air Ambulance and a paramedic from Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS) were all in attendance to the incident.

Mary Kinsey, 74, from Felixstowe was taken to Ipswich Hospital by land ambulance for treatment where she sadly died.

Meadows, then 18, who was driving the Nissan, was arrested and initially taken to hospital by officers for treatment. He was subsequently discharged and taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning before being charged.

During the investigation a witness reported seeing the vehicle being driven in the area several times that day at high speeds, while there were reports of footage online of previous driving by Meadows.

Examinations of his phone showed that Meadows had not been using his phone during the time of the collision. However, digital support officers recovered files that had been deleted from the device that included videos from as far back as 2023 showing a person sitting in the driver’s seat of numerous vehicles.

In these, the driver recorded themselves in both rural and urban areas driving at high speeds and attempting dangerous manoeuvres, such as attempting to lose control of the vehicle. In the videos the person filmed was wearing clothing that matched that of Meadows, while vehicles matched those that Meadows had access to through a valeting business he ran.

These videos included recordings of him driving at periods prior to having applied for a driving licence and also at times whilst he was disqualified resulting from “totting up”.

Evidence collected, including data from Nissan, was used to show inconsistencies in the account Meadows gave when interviewed. The data showed that at various points Meadows had attempted to ‘destabilise’ the vehicle and had manually switched off the vehicle dynamic control system.

Following the sentencing Investigating officer Cheryl Huggins of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Today saw the conclusion of an incredibly tragic incident, one that has affected not only the lives of Mary Kinsey’s family who continue to grieve her loss, but also the wider community of Felixstowe.

“What began as an investigation into the collision on 19 November 2024, soon developed into the identification of a young man who consistently demonstrated a lack of regard to the rules of the road.

“The evidence gathered highlighted Lewis Meadows’ selfish attitude to driving, with his dangerous actions that day ultimately resulting in the most serious of consequences, the loss of an innocent person’s life.

“Whilst it is clear that Lewis Meadows did not intend to cause harm to Mrs Kinsey, he made a deliberate and conscious choice to drive in a such a way.

“I hope this case demonstrates to all road users that when sitting behind a wheel, we take on a great responsibility and as such we must drive with care, to ensure the safety of ourselves and other road users.”

Felixstowe - Teenager jailed for causing death by dangerous driving | Suffolk Constabulary