Man Jailed After High-Speed Crash Kills Girlfriend on A3
A speeding driver has been locked up for five years after a tragic crash on the A3 claimed the life of his 24-year-old girlfriend. The fatal smash happened in the early hours of March 22 near Tolworth on the northbound A3.
Deadly Speeding on A3
Nick Tay, 25, from Guildford, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and driving uninsured. He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on November 27 to five years in prison. Tay was also banned from driving for four and a half years and must pass an extended driving test before getting back on the road.
Police investigation revealed Tay blasted along the A3 at 110mph in a 50mph zone just before the crash at 1.20am. The Peugeot 206 he was driving swerved across lanes, slammed into the central reservation, then rolled onto the grass verge. His girlfriend, Maria Jimenez Montero, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Disturbing Details of the Crash
- Witnesses said the Peugeot sped past them moments before the crash.
- Officers found the front passenger seatbelt was locked, showing it was not worn.
- Tay was wearing his seatbelt and managed to crawl from the wreck with minor injuries.
Sergeant Eddie Ryan from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “This was a tragic collision that has left a family devastated and it was entirely preventable. Tay chose to drive at a catastrophically dangerous speed more than twice the legal limit.”
He added: “Maria wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, which likely caused her to be thrown from the car as it rolled. Speed limits are exactly that, limits. They are not a target to beat. They keep everyone safe.”
Road Safety Warning
This grim case is a stark warning to all motorists: speeding kills. Stick to the limits. Buckle up every time. Driving dangerously puts lives on the line.
