An English woman has admitted to causing a car crash that killed two people and seriously injured their young child in 2021.
Laila Barnard-Wigley pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Hull Crown Court to two counts of causing death by careless driving, according to reports from the BBC, HullLive and the Gazette & Herald.
The collision happened on May 7, 2021, on the A165 near Bridlington in Yorkshire, the BBC reported.
Barnard-Wigley, 27, had previously faced more serious charges of causing death and injury by dangerous driving, but those were dropped during a 2023 court hearing after an earlier trial, per the BBC.
In that earlier case, evidence presented in court indicated that Barnard-Wigley’s car hydroplaned on the wet road following rainfall, the outlet reported.
In relation to the 2021 incident, HullLive reported that, according to trial evidence, Barnard-Wigley was alleged to have been rushing to reach a beauty salon to sell makeup to the owner. The outlet further reported that she attempted to overtake another vehicle several times before finally doing so.
A 33-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were killed in the crash, according to the BBC. Their 2-year-old child sustained serious injuries but survived.
“This was a truly tragic incident that left a little boy orphaned and devastated families who continue to grieve and attempt to navigate a life without their loved ones,” Sergeant Rob Mazingham of Humberside Police said, according to the Gazette & Herald.
