20-year-old sentenced after driving 'too fast' caused death of e-scooter rider in Northampton

A 20-year-old woman, who drove “too fast” round a roundabout in Northampton and caused the death of an e-scooter rider, has been sentenced.

Faye Adele Neely, of Bosworth Close appeared at Northampton Crown Court on September 29, after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving at Northampton Magistrates Court earlier this year.

Andrzej Strzelec, aged 35, died the day after Neely’s car hit a traffic light pole, which then fell onto him.

The incident happened on October 20, 2022 – not long after Neely had passed her driving test – on the Walter Tull Roundabout. She was driving her silver Renault Clio round the roundabout onto Edgar Mobbs Way.

Mr Strzelec, who was believed to be standing at the pedestrian crossing with a privately owned e-scooter at the time, suffered serious head injuries as a result of the pole falling on him, and died at University Hospital Coventry the next day.

Police say Neely was driving too fast to safely navigate the roundabout, causing her to clip the kerb and lose control of her car. At the time of the collision, she had three friends in the car with her – none of whom were wearing seatbelts.

At sentencing, Andrzej’s sister had her victim personal statement read out which stated: “Andrzej was not only a brother - he was a son, uncle, fiancé and friend to many.

“He was loved and adored by everyone whose lives he touched. He was the most kind and caring and selfless man.

“I speak for everyone in the family when I say that the horrific way that Andrzej was taken from us has left us all completely devastated and heartbroken and it is something that we will never come to terms with.

“The pain we feel every day is indescribable and a future without Andrzej is difficult to comprehend.”

Lead Investigator, Detective Constable Lee Norton added: “No sentence will make up for the death of Andrzej Strzelec – he was a much-loved man with everything to look forward to and I know how deeply his family feel his loss.

“The memories his sister has of that night will never go away but I would like to thank her, and her family, for their support throughout our investigation – I know it hasn’t been easy by any means.

“Finally, I want this case to be a lesson to other young drivers. Faye Neely had only just passed her driving test and with three friends in her car, none of whom were wearing seatbelts, drove well beyond her capabilities that night.

“In the wrong hands and if not treated with respect, a car can be lethal. Please remember this every time you get into your vehicle, every time you are tempted to go that little bit faster, every time you think of showing off to friends.

“If you don’t, you too could be responsible for the death of someone as wonderful as Andrzej Strzelec, and the devastation of a family who will never get over their loss.”

Neely was sentenced to eight months in prison - suspended for two years, 180 hours of unpaid work, and was disqualified from driving for five years.

Editor’s note: The original version of this story said that Mr Stzelec was riding a Voi e-scooter, based on information from Northamptonshire Police. However, this is incorrect. The story has been updated to say he was riding a privately owned e-scooter.