Northampton woman jailed for dangerous driving that caused the death of beloved grandmother who had 'heart of gold'

Samantha Curtis, of Bouverie Road, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Monday March 23, after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The charges relate to an incident in Talavera Way on December 13, 2024, when Curtis was driving a Ford EcoSport, which crossed into the opposite carriageway and collided head-on with a red Vauxhall Agila, according to Northamptonshire Police.

83-year-old Yvonne Bruce, who was inside the Vauxhall, sadly died at the scene and her grandson, Daniel, who had been driving Yvonne to Aldi, suffered serious injuries.

Yvonne, who was known affectionately to her family as Nanny Tiggy, had only recently moved to Northampton from Essex to be closer to her family.

In his victim personal statement, Daniel wrote: “Moving up here had given her a new lease of life and we were all really enjoying seeing her more and spending quality time with her. I would see her at least once a week; helping her out at home and taking her to the shops. It was so nice having her around.

"She was such a clever, hardworking woman with a strong mind,” Yvonne’s daughter Suzanne wrote. “She could be strict at times, but she had a heart of gold. She was incredibly generous, sarcastic, and always ready with a sharp, witty comment. Yet to her grandchildren she was a complete softy - she loved watching them grow and was always there whenever they needed her.

“Whenever funerals came up, she refused to talk about them, saying she wasn’t ready to die - “I’m not going anywhere,” she would say.”

The family also thanked members of the public who stopped at the scene, and the emergency services, who helped Yvonne and Daniel.

Daniel’s injuries following the collision were extensive, including two fractures to his leg which required an operation to fit a metal rod to fix it, a fractured ankle, a deep laceration to his hip, as well as numerous cuts and bruises.

Although he continues to move forward with his recovery, his quality of life has suffered due to the physical and mental scars the collision has left on him, according to Northamptonshire Police.

Lead Investigator - Detective Constable Eleanor Hudson said: “Curtis’ dangerous driving has caused untold distress to this family who have had to bury their mother, grandmother and great grandmother as a result of it. Daniel also suffers with the injuries caused by this collision over a year later which continue to affect his daily life.

“At the time of the collision, she was taking 17 prescription medications and had various physical and mental ailments so I hope this case serves as a lesson to anyone taking prescription medication - whilst not illegal, prescription drugs can cause inattention and drowsiness, and driving under the influence of them should be treated with great caution.

“This incident demonstrates in tragic detail the consequences of dangerous driving - one minute you are living your life as normal and seconds later you have destroyed a family and are now looking at a custodial sentence."

Police say numerous members of the public stopped to assist those involved in the collision and during sentencing, Her Honour Judge Crane commended all of those who helped.

Curtis was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for causing the death of Yvonne, and two years and three months in prison for the injuries caused to Daniel, to be served concurrently.

She was also disqualified from driving for eight years and ten months and will need to take an extended re-test.