Woman who drove van into house while ‘pretending to be a racing driver’ convicted over 90-year-old’s death

Joan Woodier killed by falling rubble during telephone call to her son

A banned motorist who was “pretending to be a racing driver” when she killed a pensioner by driving a van into the front of her house has been found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Tracy Bibby's Ford Transit smashed through the front of Joan Woodier’s Clevedon home as she was on the phone to her son, Bristol Crown Court court heard. The 90-year-old was killed by falling rubble.

Banned from driving at the time, the 35-year-old mother of two had been "showing off" and "pretending to be a racing driver", on the way home from the Crab Apple pub, before losing control of the vehicle, the jury was told.

A police forensic collision investigator later examined the scene and concluded the van had driven into the house at a speed between 32mph and 40mph. The road’s speed limit is 30mph.

Bibby, also from Clevedon then claimed her then-boyfriend Ben Chappell was behind the wheel when the van crashed.

After they gathered round to try and help, one of Ms Woodier's neighbours told the jury she had heard Bibby telling another passenger: “It wasn’t my fault, he made me drive”.

But Bibby nonetheless tried to claim that she had swapped places with Mr Chappell as she denied causing death by dangerous driving.

However, the pub’s CCTV captured her getting into the van on the driver’s side.

A witness also told the court she spoke to Bibby through the window as she sat behind the wheel before she pulled away.

After Bibby was found guilty following a 10-day trial, collision Investigation Officer, Tony Hall, who examined the scene, said she had "consistently refused to take responsibility for her reckless actions that night which tragically resulted in the death of Mrs Woodier."

He added: “She sought to blame someone else even though all the evidence pointed to her being the one behind the wheel.”

In a statement, Mrs Woodier’s family thanked the police, the Crown prosecutor and two “amazing” liaison officers for “getting [them] through this horrendous time”.

Joan Woodier, 90, who died in the crash (SWNS)

The family also praised the “tremendous courage and resolve” of Mrs Woodier’s neighbours who “tried to rescue her out of the remains of the house” and later “relived that awful scene” in court.

The family said: “We cried for you when you were cross examined but you never wavered from your belief of events. This could all have been avoided so easily but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

Bibby is due to be sentenced later this week.

Additional reporting by SWNS