Driver who killed Take That fan on her way to a concert jailed for just a year

A woman who killed a Take That fan after running her over while she was walking to a gig has been jailed for just a year.

Fiona Hodge, 69, hit Donna Crossman, 53, with her Citroen as the concertgoer was heading over the Brunel Way flyover towards Bristol’s Ashton Gate Stadium on the evening of June 9, 2024.

Ms Crossman, from Bridgend in Wales, was rushed to hospital but she died from her injuries the following day.

Hodge denied causing her death by careless driving but was found guilty by a jury and given a 12-month prison sentence.

She was also given a two and a half year driving ban and ordered to pay £3,000 court costs.

Police footage from just after the fatal crash showed Hodge telling officers she was driving along the A370 Brunel Way with her friends into Bristol and was returning from a walk in the Mendips.

She said the road was ‘not busy’ and that she was driving ‘within the speed limit’ before the ‘very nasty accident’.

But several witnesses gave evidence during her trial and told jurors they saw her red car ‘swerving between lanes in front of them’.

Hodge mounted the pavement on which Ms Crossman was walking with two friends.

She narrowly missed the first two women before striking Donna, who was knocked off the flyover and onto the park below, causing her catastrophic injuries.

In a statement read out in court, Donna’s mother Annette Price said: ‘Although Donna was a grown woman, she was our child, our flesh and blood.

‘Nothing can prepare you for the death of a child at whatever age. From the day she was born and throughout her life, she brought us so much joy. Donna’s life was not insignificant.’

She added: ‘She was a truly amazing woman. To us, her family, she was our rock. Someone we relied on, so grateful in the knowledge she would be there for us in our later years.

‘Over time, a role reversal had taken place, she was the mother figure taking care of us. Our carer, our driver, our voice of reason, her amazing ability to put things in perspective and to help solve problems.

‘Wiped out in an instant of carelessness.

‘The moment her heart stopped beating, our lives shattered into a million pieces. Never to be whole again.

‘The shockwaves affecting the lives of her family, friends and colleagues, who like us, are still traumatised by her loss.’

Speaking outside afterwards, Mrs Price and her husband Stephen said: ‘Having now heard the sentencing of Fiona Hodge for her careless driving and the killing of our wonderful daughter Donna, it brings a conclusion to the two-year fight for justice for her.

‘Whatever the sentence was, it will not bring our beloved daughter back, but it goes some way to righting a wrong and prove the British legal system works.
‘Perhaps we can now take time to grieve properly.’

Investigating Officer Noelie Poupard said: ‘No sentence can undo the devastating loss suffered by Donna’s family, who described her as the rock of their family and whose lives were changed forever by this collision.

‘For more than two years they have waited with remarkable strength, dignity and patience for this case to conclude. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of the consequences of Hodge’s actions and provides a measure of accountability for what happened.

‘Our thoughts remain with Donna’s loved ones, and I hope that the conclusion of these proceedings allows them to begin to move forward, knowing that justice has now been delivered.’

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