Teen Audi driver kills pensioner three months after passing test

A teenage Audi driver has killed a pensioner three months after passing her driving test.

Hanna Lewis, 17, ploughed into the car of 79-year-old Bryan Smithers on a sharp bend after a day at the beach with friends in Wales in the UK.

Mr Smithers died at the scene of the crash near the beach at Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, in August last year. One of Ms Lewis’ friends was also seriously injured.

“This is a tragic set of circumstances. She approached a bend on the wrong side of the road and it was a head-on collision,” Prosecutor Sian Vaughan said.

“She had perhaps been distracted by friends having been to the beach earlier with them.”

Mr Smithers lived with his wife in the nearby village of Llanybri and was an active member of the community as treasurer of the local hall committee.

Ms Lewis, of Llandovery, admitted causing death by dangerous driving in her Audi A1.

Defence solicitor Gareth Walters said she was an “inexperienced” driver.

“She passed her test in May and the collision was at the end of August,” Mr Walters said.

“With Miss Lewis’ inexperience and lack of knowledge of the road there is no doubt this was a tragic incident.”

“A lack of driving experience contributed, it seems, to the causality of the collision,” District Judge James said.

Ms Lewis, now 18, will face sentencing at Swansea Crown Court in October and was remanded on bail by magistrates at Llanelli, Wales.