Samantha Curtis crossed onto the opposite carriageway in Talavera Way, Northampton, and collided head on with a Vauxhall Agila in which was 83-year-old Yvonne Bruce who died at the scene
A driver has been jailed for killing a loving grandma who had told her family “I’m not ready to die”.
Yvonne Bruce, 83, known affectionately by her family as Nanny Tiggy, was in a car hit by Samantha Curtis’ Ford when it crossed into the opposing carriageway and the vehicles collided head on.
Curtis pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She has now been sentenced at Northampton Crown Court 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.
On the afternoon of December 13, 2024, Curtis was driving a blue Ford EcoSport in Talavera Way, Northampton, when the cars collided before Yvonne died at the scene and her grandson Daniel was seriously injured.
“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.”
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Daniel’s injuries following the collision were extensive – 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.
In his victim impact statement to the court, Daniel said his grandmother had only recently moved to Northampton to Essex to be closer to her family.
He said: “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.”
Lead Investigator, Detective Constable Eleanor Hudson, said: “Samantha 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.
“Let this case be a lesson to everyone who gets behind the wheel – driving is a privilege and in the wrong hands, a car can kill. Finally, I would like to thank Yvonne’s family for their support during our investigation, particularly Daniel who continues to recover from his injuries. My thoughts are with them and I hope the conclusion of this case allows them to start to grieve properly for their beloved Nanny Tiggy.”
