Moped rider jailed after killing passenger in crash

A moped rider from Bedford has been jailed for seven years for causing a crash which killed his teenage passenger.

Ryan Glanfield, 27, of Victoria Road, was speeding in a bus lane when he hit another vehicle.

18-year-old Nylo Markham, from Bedford, who was riding on the back of the moped, later died in hospital.

The crash happened on January 3 in Bedford Road, Kempston.

The court heard that following the crash, Glanfield had searched the pockets of his passenger, took both crash helmets and fled the scene.

During the trial, witnesses stated that the moped, ridden by Glenfield, was travelling well above the speed limit in a bus lane when it crashed into a white 4x4 vehicle with two people inside. Both were uninjured.

The police investigation discovered that the vehicle had been stolen less than two weeks earlier, from a supermarket car park in Bedford.

In summing up, Her Honour Judge Mensah said: "You chose to drive on this occasion, you were travelling way too fast for the conditions. Your actions were truly shocking."

Sergeant Mark Dollard from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: "Nylo Markham was a young man with his whole life ahead of him, who did not deserve to be left dying at the roadside by a so-called friend.

"Glanfield has never accounted for his actions and has forced Nylo's family to endure a trial. I would like to thank them for their dignity and hope that this verdict allows them to have some sense of justice.

"This case should serve as a warning that driving with a total disregard for others has life-changing consequences."

At Luton Crown Court, Glanfield was also banned from driving for eight-and-a-half years following his prison term.