Madeleine Lonsdale, 18, sped along a carriageway while racing another car at 100mph – before slamming into a tree and killing passengers Harrison Carter, 18, and George Stephenson, 17
A woman went on a skiing holiday and partied “repeatedly” after her car slammed into a tree and killed two teenagers.
Madeleine Lonsdale had been speeding along a carriageway at 100mph in Marston, Lincolnshire, while racing another car in June last year. The 18-year-old then struck a tree, killing passengers Harrison Carter, 18, and George Stephenson, 17.
Lonsdale frequently uploaded to TikTok after the deaths, and her first court appearance was delayed for two weeks because she went on a skiing trip. She was today sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court to 14 months imprisonment and banned from driving for three and a half years.
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On Friday, June 20, 2025, Lonsdale was travelling towards Marston from the A1 at around 1.40am when the Kia Niro 4 EV she was driving left the carriageway, colliding with a tree on a right-hand bend. Harrison, 18, who was in the passenger seat, and George, 17, who was sat in the back, sadly died at the scene from their injuries.
Lonsdale had been out with friends when she stopped at the Esso service station on the junction of the A1 and Toll Bar Road. Having purchased some items, they got back in the car and then turned left onto Toll Bar Road towards Marston, before a short time later she lost control and collided with a tree.
Detectives found that Lonsdale had been driving at over 75mph when she misjudged a bend in the 60mph road just 4 seconds before the collision occurred. Her vehicle had left the carriageway to the nearside verge and subsequently impacted the tree.
Lonsdale, who passed her driving test around 12 weeks before the crash, escaped with only a small injury to her wrist.
In a police interview, the teenager said she knew the road and believed she had been doing around 45mph. She was also unable to explain why her wheels had come off the road. The investigation concluded that Lonsdale’s driving, speed and inexperience were responsible for the collision.
Harry’s mum, Sarah Carter, said it “adds insult to injury” that Lonsdale was “partying repeatedly” and “choreographing TikToks” while she planned her son’s funeral.
Speaking of Harry’s dream to pursue a career in law, she said: “Harry was taken from us because Madeleine chose to speed. He will never be able to celebrate the amazing exam results that he achieved.”
Victoria Stephenson, George’s mother, told the court: “We will never see him graduate or find a job after university. We didn’t get to celebrate his 18th birthday with him. Instead, we had his funeral.”
She said that when Lonsdale’s skiing trip delaying her first court appearance by two weeks, it “only added to the torment”.
In a joint statement, the families of George and Harrison said: “We recognise the sentence of the court, but the reality is that no sentence will ever bring our beloved sons back to us. Madeleine alone knows why she chose to drive at over 75mph in the dark on an unlit country lane. She will have to live with the fact that she is responsible for taking the lives of our boys, who had placed their trust in her to get them to their destination safely.
“As parents, we therefore implore all young drivers to take care when driving and to remember their personal responsibility for ensuring the safety of themselves, their passengers and others around them. Whilst we now wish for privacy after a long and difficult journey, we just hope that others never have to face the despair that is ahead of us.”
John McNally, defending Lonsdale, said: “She knows that there is nothing she can say, do, to take the pain away. She knows it will weigh heavily on her for the rest of her life. Her regret for what happened is deep and […] her friends will remain, and are, in her thoughts.”
Detective Sergeant Adam Doona, from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision was down to the speed and inexperience of Madeleine Lonsdale. Tragically, as a result of her driving, friends who should have been celebrating starting the next stage of their lives are no longer with us.
“When someone obtains their full driving licence, they need to remember that this is purely the start of their driving career. A lack of experience and failing to drive according to the rules of the road in this case, will leave an indelible mark on all those involved for the rest of their lives.”
