An 18-year-old girl died while holding her father's hand after a driver turned a BMW into a 'lethal weapon' and crashed into her car on the A63 in Leeds. Thomas Sherwood, 36, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing the death of Georgia Bendelow in August 2022.
Crash Details
Sherwood was driving a high-powered BMW M3 borrowed from a friend without insurance. He was speeding at 80mph in a 50mph zone on Selby Road on August 31, 2022. He collided with a red Seat Mii driven by Georgia's mother, sending the car flying across the carriageway for over 1,000ft before it landed on the opposite lane.
Father's Harrowing Account
Georgia's father, who lived nearby, rushed to the scene and found the trio crushed inside the mangled wreckage. He described watching his daughter take her final breaths while trying to reassure her. In his victim impact statement, he said: 'I'm now a broken man and left with a vision that will forever haunt me. Seeing my daughter Georgia in the most horrific state, just gasping for her last breaths whilst blood was running down her face. All I could do was be there for her, to hold her and reassure her until help came. I can only hope that she could hear me. Seeing her in that tangled car is a sight that will never leave me.'
Injuries and Aftermath
Georgia suffered catastrophic head injuries and died in hospital two days later. Her mother and Georgia's boyfriend, Mark, survived but sustained serious injuries. Mark said the crash took away the 'love of my life and our future together.'
Legal Outcome
Sherwood was found guilty of death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and previously admitted causing death while driving an uninsured car. Detective Sergeant Steve Suggit of West Yorkshire Police described Sherwood's actions as 'reckless and dangerous,' adding that if he had driven at the speed limit, 'Georgia would still be with her friends and family now.' Sherwood was also banned from driving for 14 years and four months and must complete an extended driving test to regain his license.
