Man jailed over girl's quad bike crash death

A man has been sentenced to two years in prison after he admitted causing the death of a young woman in a quad bike crash.

Alex Evans, 31, had been disqualified from driving and was uninsured when a quad bike he was driving overturned in Shipton Moyne, Gloucestershire, on 23 December 2023, fatally injuring 22-year-old Grace Vater.

Ms Vater was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where she died two days later, on Christmas Day 2023.

Evans, of Monks Drive, Corsham, Wiltshire, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday. He was also given an extended disqualification from driving, with an extended retest, and made to pay a £228 surcharge.

He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while disqualified, and causing death by driving when uninsured.

Ms Vater, known by many as Gracie, sustained fatal injuries in the crash on Whitehouse Lane in Shipton Moyne.

Following her death, Ms Vater's family said she was "a country girl with the biggest heart and a huge love for animals, especially dogs, pigs and cows".

"She was the most kind, caring and beautiful soul inside and out, and would help anybody that needed her help. She was loved by everyone who met her," they said.

"Our lives will never be the same without her, but we take comfort in knowing that Gracie is with her beloved dad."

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