Barnstaple man sentenced following fatal collision
A driver has been sentenced for causing the death of a woman after he claimed to have fell asleep at the wheel.
Jason Rana, 40, from Gould Road in Barnstaple, appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday 11 March after previously pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving.
Rana was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order, told he must pay court costs of £160 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Emergency services were called at around 3.40pm on 4 June 2023 following a collision on the B3230 between Muddiford and Shirwell Cross, near to Broomhill Estate Sculpture Garden entrance.
The head-on collision involved a grey Peugeot 5008 being driver by Rana and a white Kai Picanto driven by Renate Soltys, who sadly passed away as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.
During the incident Rana travelled on the wrong side of the road, directly into Ms Soltys who was travelling in the opposite direction.
Rana informed an attending paramedic that he’d fallen asleep at the wheel and woken up right before the collision occurred.
Investigation revealed that the vehicle driven by Rana was on the wrong side of the road at the point of contact following a bend, causing Ms Soltys vehicle to be pushed back six meters.
Another occupant of Rana’s car was also injured during the collision.
Serious Collision Investigation Team Samantha Pullen said: “While we may not know the exact reason behind the collision caused by Jason Rana, what is for certain is that the car he was driving crossed onto the other side of the road and collided head-on with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.
“Renate Soltys was going about her business and driving in a perfectly safe manner. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“This sad case shows that even a momentary lapse can have fatal consequences. We urge drivers feeling the effects of tiredness to take a break when driving and only get back behind the wheel when they feel safe to do so.”