Driving instructor jailed for smash

A driving instructor from Bentham has been jailed after a crash which killed an 83-year-old woman.

A driving instructor from Bentham who was heading to teach a speed awareness class has been jailed for causing a five-car smash that killed an 83-year-old woman.

Rita Wharton died when her car was hit after Anita Corless tried to overtake traffic near Welshpool, Powys.

Corless, 58, originally from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

She was given a 16-month prison sentence at Mold Crown Court.

The driving instructor said she had no memory of the fatal manoeuvre on the A483  road between Welshpool and Pool Quay, last March.

Corless was employed by Lancashire County Council to run speed awareness courses.

She was living in Bentham in North Yorkshire at the time of the incident, and was herself seriously injured in the crash.

In addition to the 16-month jail sentence, Corless was banned from driving for two-years and eight-months, and must take an extended driving test before being allowed back on the roads.