The mother of a young woman who was killed 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 travelling in hit a Vauxhall Corsa on the A16 at Utterby, near Louth, Lincolnshire, in October 2021.
Lincoln Crown Court heard the driver, Keelan Tuke, and three other men had been 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 she had not died in vain.
All four men were convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and of causing serious injury by dangerous driving to the occupant of the Corsa.
Tuke, Keigan Launder and Josh Dobb were each jailed for eight-and-a-half years.
Riley Duncombe, who had passed his driving test only a week before the crash, was sentenced to five years and eight months in a young offender institution.
The police investigation into the incident and the plea from Ms Reynolds featured in Monday’s episode of BBC Crimewatch Live.
She told the programme that, on the night of the crash, she had enjoyed a meal with Denii before the 20-year-old went out to bingo with her grandmother and then out with her friends.
“That was the last time I saw her,” she said.
Ms Reynolds said she found out about the crash after her other daughter received a call shortly after leaving the house.
“I got a big knock on the window and I could see her panicking,” Ms Reynolds said.
“She was on the phone and said Denii had been in an accident and it’s bad.”
After arriving at the scene, Ms Reynolds said: “When I got there, there was just cars and people everywhere.
“I just ran and saw a police officer running towards me, and I instantly knew.”
“You just want to be with them and you can’t – I didn’t want her to be on her own,” she said.
‘Nothing is the same’
Talking about the impact on the family, Ms Reynolds said: “It’s coming up to three years since we lost Denii.
“It’s been the longest, hardest, most painful three years of my life – trying to fix a broken family.
“Christmases, 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”.
“No-one could stop her,” she said.
“I’m glad she lived that way – with [her life] being so short,” she added.
However, she said 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 I won’t feel then that she has died in vain,” she added.
The episode also included footage from the scene of the crash, and the work by forensic teams in piecing together what happened.
Det Sgt Luke Wells from Lincolnshire Police said: “The boys at the scene presented as very nervous – they were clearly worried about what had happened, and the potential ramifications.
He praised Ms Reynolds for speaking out and the courage she had shown.
“I’m a dad myself and I can’t imagine what that must be like,” he said.
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