Driver who caused fatal multi-vehicle crash jailed

A dangerous driver has been jailed after causing a multiple-vehicle crash which led to the death of an army veteran.

Rowan Grant, who was already disqualified from driving, was travelling at more than 80mph (128 km/h) through Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire, on 9 December last year when he caused "total devastation", police said.

Andrew Lister, a 36-year-old army veteran, was at a red light when Grant ploughed into the back of his car, leaving him with injuries he later died of in hospital. Lister's partner was also left with life-changing injuries.

On Tuesday, Grant, of no fixed address, who had admitted causing death by dangerous driving, was jailed for 10 years and banned from driving for life.

Nottinghamshire Police said Grant - who had a previous conviction for dangerous driving - had also pleaded guilty to causing death by driving whilst disqualified, causing death by driving whilst unlicensed and uninsured, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

When emergency services arrived at the scene last December, near the junction of Western Boulevard, Grant claimed the car had been driven by his girlfriend.

However, Grant's girlfriend was "many miles away" at the time and he had taken her car without her consent, the force added.

Grant, who was also taken to hospital after the crash, gave a mostly "no comment" interview to police and later claimed he had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel.

In a statement released by police following Grant's sentencing, Lister's family said: "Andrew was a young man in his prime. He had a good job, a loving partner, a daughter he adored and everything to live for.

"He also loved animals and could think of nothing better than fussing over his Doberman, Mable, or taking her for walks in Sherwood Forest.

"Everyone he met, he treated with love, kindness and a cheeky smile that we will never see again.

"Our grief as a family is on a different level to anything we have ever felt.

"Everything we do and everywhere we go, we find ourselves saying, 'Andrew would love this' or, 'We must take Andrew here'.

"Then we realise he is no longer here, and he will never do these things.

"But we remember him with love and affection every day.

"His zest for life was infectious and touched everyone he came into contact with."

The case investigator from the police's serious collision investigation unit, Sarah Butler, said: "Grant was responsible that day for a scene of total devastation, with numerous vehicles sustaining catastrophic damage and coming to rest across the road.

"The victims in this case were simply waiting at a red light when their lives were shattered by a man who should never have been behind the wheel of a car in the first place.

"His dishonesty at the scene shows exactly the kind of person he is, as do his repeated decisions to take to the road as a disqualified driver.

"As Grant begins this jail sentence, my thoughts and those of my colleagues are with Andrew's partner, his family and his loved ones, and all the people whose lives he has devastated."

Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham on Sounds and follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.