Kane Clears jailed over seven years for causing death by dangerous driving near Toft. He was speeding and drunk.
Kane Clears, age 30, killed Ian Gooden, a 59-year-old aircraft engineer. Clears was driving on the A6121, the Stamford to Bourne road. Police found beer cans, specifically Stella Artois lager with one already opened, in the footwell of Clear’s car.
CCTV showed Clears speeding, driving between 89 and 91 mph near Toft, exceeding the speed limit. Another car followed Clears at a similar speed, but prosecutors could not prove racing. Clears did not slow down for roadworks where the limit lowered to 40 mph.
He lost control on a bend on the A6121, and his car hit Gooden’s Ford Focus head-on after swerving and crossing the central reservation. Clears’ speedometer froze at 89-91 mph, confirming he drove over the limit. The crash impact was so immense Clears’ engine detached from his car.
His car also hit another vehicle containing a mother and daughter, who suffered minor injuries requiring a trip to the hospital. Gooden, a cyclist and engineer from Cambridgeshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Clears wandered after the crash, and a witness heard him mouth “sorry,” demonstrating initial remorse. A blood test, taken hours after the crash, showed alcohol levels estimated to be twice the limit at the time of impact. Experts said the alcohol impaired his driving.
Gooden’s family gave victim statements, with his widow, Gyonyul, sharing her grief. She said her sons now lack a father as a result of the irresponsible actions. Alcohol cost her children their father, and she lost her husband and soulmate.
Clears admitted causing death by dangerous driving. His lawyer spoke about Clears’ remorse, which was evident during the trial. The lawyer also mentioned past good deeds where Clears helped an elderly couple whose car landed in a ditch.
He even earned a police award for his actions. The judge stated Gooden was loved as a husband, father, and friend. The judge also noted that drinking caused the crash, and speed was a result of it.
The judge noted the beer cans, and said that drinking impaired Clears’ judgement; Gooden had no warning and no chance. He considered Clears’ past help to the elderly couple; Clears felt guilt, preventing him from attending the award ceremony.
The judge called Clears a good man who made a terrible error. Clears received a driving ban lasting for ten years and one month, and he must retake an extended driving test.