Dangerous drivers jailed after killing mum while 'racing' performance-enhanced cars at speeds of up to 100mph

Two men have been jailed for killing a woman while racing performance-enhanced cars at speeds of up to 100mph. Tom Hill, 32, was seen on video trying to keep up with Lyndon Parsons, 26, before he lost control of his car, causing it to smash into a Mini being driven in the opposite direction by mum-of-two Terri-Ann Marshall.

The collision took place on the B4228 near Sling in the Forrest of Dean shortly after 5pm on Friday 28 January 2022. They appeared at Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing this week and admitted causing death by dangerous driving. Hill was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail and Parsons was locked-up for eight years.

Driving performance-enhanced cars up to 100mph

The court heard that Hill had travelled to see Parsons in his vape shop in Coleford, before the pair agreed to travel to Parson's home in St Briavels to see a vehicle that he was selling. Both were driving performance-enhanced cars – Parsons' was a Volkswagen Golf GTI while Hill's was a Ford Fiesta ST– and they began to race one another as they left town.

Specialist collision investigators were able to show that they had been driving up to 100mph at points on their journey, along roads with a maximum speed of 50mph.

Shortly after driving through Sling, the two cars reached the brow of a hill followed by a bend in the road. Parsons, who was in front, knew the road and was able to negotiate it, but Hill was travelling at an estimated 90 mph, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and send it on to the other side of the carriageway. He collided with a Mini being driven by 36-year-old Terri-Ann Marshall, who died on impact.

Speaking after the sentencing, the family of Terri-Ann Marshall said in a statement: "It has been an incredibly hard couple of years, however, we now feel we have some kind of closure in this case, and can move forward in our grieving. The family would like to summarise with this quote: Nothing happens by chance, by fate. You create your own fate by your actions. That's karma."