Rachael Boardman, a 43-year-old woman, has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from driving for 13 years after causing a fatal car crash while intoxicated. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning when Boardman crashed her car into a tree at high speed. She had been drinking heavily and taking drugs earlier in the evening.

Tragically, one man, Dominic Fryer, lost his life in the collision. Fryer, a 51-year-old passenger in Boardman’s car, was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene. His family has expressed their devastation over the loss of an “amazing” husband, father, and grandfather. In a victim’s personal statement read out in court, his wife Kristy described him as the pillar of their family and expressed the immense void his absence has created in their lives.

Another passenger in the vehicle, who was seated in the front, suffered serious injuries, including a fractured hip. Boardman herself was trapped in the driver’s seat after the crash. Subsequent tests revealed that she was over the legal limit for alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis at the time of the collision.

Boardman pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing injury by dangerous driving. During her sentencing at Derby Crown Court, she received a prison term of six years and a driving ban of 13 years. Temporary Detective Constable Dan Booth, who led the investigation, expressed his hope that the outcome would provide some closure for everyone involved.

Detective Constable Booth thanked Fryer’s family for their resilience and composure throughout the proceedings, acknowledging the immense challenge they face in rebuilding their lives after such a devastating loss.