Driver jailed for killing cyclist while speeding and high on cocaine

A woman who hit and killed a cyclist when she was driving with a frosted-over windscreen, speeding and under the influence of cocaine and cannabis has been jailed.

Anya Foster, 32, of Gloucester Street in St Helens, was late for a 6am meeting when she set off from her home at 6:18am on the morning of 1 December 2023.

She struck cyclist David Burrows, 59, from behind, shortly afterwards on Island Brow in St Helens. Mr Burrows was clearly visible, wearing a high visibility vest, cycle helmet and both front and rear lights were illuminated with a solid beam. 

The impact from Foster’s car caused the wheels of his bike to fold and his head hit her windscreen. Foster did not stop and continued her journey. She was later found to have been driving at 41 mph in a 30mph area.

Later that morning, Mr Burrows was discovered by a passer-by who stopped and called an ambulance. Unfortunately, he never regained consciousness and died the same day.

The police received an anonymous call from someone who said Foster had told them she was involved in a collision. 

When police arrived at her home, they saw her car with clear damage to the windscreen, parked closely to the garage to avoid detection.

Foster was spoken to and accepted that she was the driver of the car and had been involved in a collision. She denied her windscreen was frosted over and said she had spent 10 minutes before setting off, trying to defrost it.

She accepted that she hit something but said she hadn’t stopped as she said she had seen the cyclist up on his feet so assumed he was fine. She said that she was en route to collect her sister.

She was charged with causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drugs.

At a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on 5 November 2024, she pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. The sentence was reduced because of her guilty plea.

She was disqualified from driving for 11 years and 8 months and must do an extended retest before she can drive again.

Several Victim Personal Statements made by the relatives of David Burrows were read to the court.

One said: “The person responsible for this did not have the decency to stop, this is totally unbelievable and unforgiveable.

“His life was cut short for no fault of his own, this is not something we will forget or forgive and will be with us for the rest of our lives.”

Another said: “On the 1st December 2023 my life was changed forever. My uncle Dave left his house for work that morning thinking he was coming home but he never did. You left my best friend, my Uncle David at the side of the road, fighting for his life, alone in the dark, freezing cold.

“You did not only kill my Uncle that day, you killed my family, his friends, his work colleagues and many other people around him.

“Arriving at the hospital to be told your Uncle was on life support and there is nothing they can do to help him, broke me in many ways I can't describe. It was like the world crashing down on me. I had ten minutes with him before I had to let him go forever. Ten minutes to tell him all the memories we had.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Paul Shepherd, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Anya Foster got behind the wheel of her car on that dark, frosty morning, under the influence of cocaine and cannabis.

“The windscreen was frozen over but, despite what she initially claimed, she set off without properly defrosting it and was unable to see clearly.

“The Crown Prosecution Service’s case was that Anya Foster collided with David Burrows because of these two factors.

“She compounded her criminality by leaving the scene of an accident and not stopping to see if Mr Burrows was OK.

“This meant that David Burrows was left for some time, badly injured and alone in the road on a cold winter’s day. 

“Her actions, which resulted from her being late for an appointment,  have devasted Mr Burrows family as their statements to the court clearly show. And she is now in prison for several years.

“The Crown Prosecution Service would like to extend condolences to the family of Mr Burrows.”