Mother speaks out after her daughter’s fatal crash in Utterby

The mother of a young woman who died in a crash following a high-speed ‘race’ has spoken out to raise awareness of the dangers of irresponsible and dangerous driving.

Denii Reynolds, from Grimsby, died when the Citroen C1 she was driving struck a Vauxhall Corsa on the A16 at Utterby, near Louth, Lincolnshire, in October 2021.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that the driver, Keelan Tuke, and three other men were racing each other at the time.

Denii’s mother, Danielle Reynolds, said if she could save one life by highlighting the dangers of irresponsible driving, she would feel like she had not died in vain.

All four men were convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving to the occupant of the Corsa.

Tuke, Keigan Launder and Josh Dobb were each sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Riley Duncombe, who had passed his driving test just a week before the accident, was sentenced to five years and eight months in a young offenders’ institution.

The police investigation into the incident and Ms Reynolds’ plea were discussed Monday episode of BBC Crimewatch Live.

She told the program that on the night of the accident she had enjoyed a meal with Denii before the 20-year-old went to bingo with her grandmother and then went out with her friends.

“That was the last time I saw her,” she said.

Mrs Reynolds said she heard about the crash after her other daughter received a phone call shortly after leaving the house.

“I got a loud knock on the window and I could tell she was panicking,” Ms Reynolds said.

“She was on the phone and said Denii had had an accident and it was bad.”

When I arrived at the scene, Mrs. Reynolds said, “When I got there, there were just cars and people everywhere.

“I just ran and saw a police officer running towards me, and I knew right away.”

‘You just want to be with them and that’s not possible. “I didn’t want her to be alone,” she said.

Speaking about the impact on the family, Mrs Reynolds said: “It’s almost three years since we lost Denii.

‘It has been the longest, hardest and most painful three years of my life: trying to repair a broken family.

“Christmas, birthdays – nothing is the same,” she added.

Ms Reynolds described Denii as “an amazing young lady” who “did what she wanted, when she wanted, with who she wanted”.

“Nobody could stop her,” she said.

“I’m glad she lived like this, even though her life was so short,” she added.

However, she said that by speaking out about the dangers of irresponsible and dangerous driving, she hoped something positive could come from Denii’s death.

“If it can save one life, I will be forever grateful – and then I won’t feel like she died in vain,” she added.

The episode also featured footage from the crash scene and the work of forensic teams to piece together what had happened.

Det Sergeant Luke Wells, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “The boys at the scene were feeling very nervous – they were clearly concerned about what had happened and the possible consequences.

He praised Ms Reynolds for speaking out and for the courage she had shown.

“I’m a father myself and I can’t imagine what that must be like,” he said.

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