20-year-old Yaashmi Ravikumar, who caused the death of an Isle of Wight woman in a major road traffic collision on Forest Road in 2019, has had her sentenced increased.
After failing to see signs indicating that there was a junction ahead, Ravikumar drove straight out of Whitehouse Road on the outskirts of Newport and onto Forest Road. She collided with a Southern Vectis bus, which in turn veered into an oncoming car.
The incident in April 2019 resulted in the tragic death of 64-year-old Yvonne Copland. 3 others in the car sustained life-changing injuries and the bus driver was also seriously injured.
A number of other people on the double decker bus sustained minor injuries, with the true scale and severity of the situation resulting in 4 air ambulances being scrambled to the scene.
Now, following a referral to the Court of Appeal by Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC MP, the dangerous driver’s unduly lenient sentence has been increased.
In July this year, Ravikumar was handed down 18 months in a young offender’s institution when she appeared before the Isle of Wight Crown Court. It has now been stretched to 2 years and 4 months in a young offender’s institution.
Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC MP has said:
“Ravikumar’s driving and lack of attention to road signs caused the death of one person and serious injuries to several others. I am pleased the Court of Appeal has increased her sentence today to reflect the severity of the impact of her actions”.
Yasshmi Ravikumar, from Essex, has already been banned from driving for a total of 33 months.
Even that is lenient
Our roads are different especially on the Island, I have nearly been hit coming down Mersley down as someone pulls out of Rowlands lane not ‘seeing’ the stop or give way sign.
These narrow lanes, with another straight ahead need perhaps three road bumps prior to the give way sign ten yards apart to keep the dim, daft, or just careless warned that a junction is coming up giving them time even at speed to ‘realise’.
Hardly a huge issue for drivers to face, and cheap to do. Strange they can fit such along Perowne way. Pondwell and other residential roads, to slow traffic, but can’t on busy junctions to save lives and costs of emergency services.
Dont just moan DO something about it council.
Still be out in a year or so ..shocking
The driving ban should start from the day she’s released not be in force whilst she’s banged up. Mind you it’ll be doubtful she’ll get insurance until she’s at least 30 or let’s hope so
Should have been charged with manslaughter.
But she didn’t hit the car, the bus did and you can’t put the bus driver in prison for avoiding her car. It’s a tricky one, but it was a pure accident and not drink or drug reslated
Yes, an accident caused by HER driving without due care and attention, which killed someone. Which deserves punishment.
It still didn’t stop it from happening, accidental or not sadly…
Are you being serious, you have obviously never dealt with RTC’s have you and to say it was a pure accident is one of the most stupid comments i have ever read on here
Why??? I was in an RTA in which my father was killed and I was trapped for 2 hours and ended up on life support and life changing injuries. We did hit another car. He had a heart attack at the wheel. So that’s not just an accident no? Or should we prosecute my dead father
I think your comment is absolutely ridiculous
She already has a life sentence living with an accident that sadly ended the way it did
I am sorry for your loss but I think you are sadly missing the point with this one. This was not a case of a medical episode this was careless driving and not a mere accident. Through her neglect she caused a death by careless driving and that by law gives at least a double figure custodial sentence, the menial sentence she received no where meets that criteria and she will be out within 2 years which is no where near the sentence that she has made her victims family received.
Lack of attention to road signs & the road in front of her, whether due to drink, drugs, or as in this case, just her own carelessness, makes it entirely her own fault,.. therefore it was NO accident!
Regardless of whether she actually hit the other car, she caused the death.
Should behind bars for years. The victim’s family have to live with this for the rest of their lives.
So will the driver who caused the accident!
Just occasionally, a little compassion could, arguably, be shown for a genuine accident. At the time, I felt the same as the majority, that the person responsible needed to be hung, drawn and quartered. However, the defendant never once tried to dodge responsibility, pleaded guilty from the start and showed genuine remorse for the accident. According to an earlier report, she even wrote to the bereaved expressing her sorrow at causing so much distress.
I will no doubt get voted down massively for this but it not the same as the usual pissheads or druggies who cause mayhem and devastation whilst out of their tiny minds. This appears to be one of those unfortunate events, using the words I opened with, a genuine accident.
I agree with you Eve, this indeed looks like a genuine and very unfortunate accident with no malice intended. It has devastated the lives of all involved. The fact remains that this girl missed the signs and caused the accident and justice has to be served but some of the comments on here are very harsh. This whole incident will be a life sentence for all involved so have a little compassion.
I can’t be bothered with this news site anymore. Every post has to wait for approval.
Ridiculous.
I’m done also, after this reply. – Once I see that this comment has appeared, I’m deleting the islandecho page from my ‘phone.
Ad-enough, I thought it was just me. Sometimes a short comment goes live immediately but most times I have to nudge the admin by reporting the post. I just assumed I was on somebody’s sh*t list.
Mine seems to have been taken off completely after it initially appeared….
Even this revised sentence is unbelievably lenient.
The UK justice system is failing many victims of crime, time after time sentences are hopelessly inadequate.
Hope The Government gets a grip of this before it’s too late .
Two years disgusting was that all that lady’s life was worth
She made a mistake. One with horrific consequences but all she did is she missed a sign ‘junction ahead’. This typical island lynching mentality is doing my head in. I don’t think that the crackhead that killed Evey Staley had so much hatred directed towards him,
From Judge Evans:
“She failed to notice 2 give way signs, a vehicle turning ahead of her, a change in road surface and road markings.”
She was therefore driving dangerously and without due care and attention
Bit different from missing a single sign, yeah? But don’t let the truth get in the way.
Oh yes he did
The original sentence was a joke, and now this so called increase is still a joke.
She didn’t intend to kill people she’s a human who made an awful error and didn’t know our roads on the island it could of been anyone driving and made that error she’s got to live with that for the rest of her life.
Justice has been served. I think her Sentence is a lot
2 years for killing a lady it’s an insult to her family and to the others who were seriously hurt no justice for people who get killed or seriously maimed
And she will be out in half that time. Utterly pathetic sentence. And her driving ban should be 10 years.
Absolutely agree you but banned 4 life, not just 10 yrs I reckon- Life for a life
should be a lifetime ban I lived in Portsmouth drove round london and Southampton awful rds. oh and to idiots saying she didnt know the roads arnt you suppose to be more cautious then? it’s not only the island that has cross junctions theres hundreds on the mainland. it’s an insult that poor family lost a mother a grandmother auntie friend. I mean come on its manslaughter at end of day
So you can get in car kill someone and get 2 yrs pick up a weapon kill someone and you will get life justice system is a joke
Because this was an accident, the other is intentional,
Same result someone died
Then she comes out and gets on with her life! Unlike the poor lady and her family. Is the driver of the bus able to return to work does anyone know ? A day he will never forget I’m sure .
2yrs not enough and banned from driving for 33 month shocking she should retake her driving test again when she comes out
Agreed, but she was driving legally,ins license etc ,not showing off , not under influence of drugs or alcohol or being pursued by police car. If she had like many scum do she would of get less of s sentence or even just a ban and community punishment. Others have done same across that junction without accident, idiots do it as a date. Driving a vehicle in a way that could cause a serious accident should carry same punishment , it’s just luck or bad luck. Remember watching video of car driving at speed on purpose,no ins, license etc across Branding traffic lights,could equally of killed people – don’t recall him getting a prison sentence – a ban ( not that he had in 1st place) and Community order. We all had near misses when 1st passed test, that’s why insurance company charge high premiums until we learn from them. Please in future give greater punishment to those that are not legal, drive like idiots on purpose and drugged up. There fine is often less than cost of 6mths road tax.if I drove illegally for last 30yrs could if saved around £40,000. If got caught a few times cost couple hundred and got my unroadworthy car crushed.
You are the first to have shown any sign of compassion to someone who has made a mistake and had a rotten luck. I salute you sir.
Driving badly is not ‘bad luck’ it is bad driving. She should be banned for life, and learn the British highway code.
These women drivers are banned in Saudi and now we see why if she is an example.
Which? Not much point learning the Highway Code if one is never going to drive again. And does this mean that Saudi men get off scot-free?
Another MCP
What a terrible cross road. I have many times pulled out seeing it clear then had to accelarate because out of no where a vehicle is behind you. Im sure not the only one. Surely road management authorities have some blame in this case as for many years there has been complaints lodged
How cheap it would be NOW to put a round about there. All fields on each corner, so no building to alter. a blob of paint, few tons tar mac, jobs a good un, traffic would have to slow if the centre of the roundabout had a fixed rubber/plastic warning bollard, and the land needed to be used would be minimal.
Don’t ask the landowners just take it, as it is dangerous.
As it the pull out to ventnor from by the Springbank burial ground, again needs a roundabout, easy to do. AND another at the junction at the Hare and Hounds and by that stupid boat on the Arreton cross road by the little wooden rabbit.
Those latter two areas could have large roundabouts made cheaply as only corner of a field, and half a gallon of BQ emulsion.
Could be done in a weekend.
Hence the issue, NO profit skimming by council to make it worth while.
Sooner have massive queues and impatient motorists overtaking to make up ‘lost time’ and killing others.
But it still doesn’t change the fact that this is a very dangerous junction, and a few simple short term measures could be taken to reduce the possibility of acccidents while long term measures could be put in hand.
Nobody is a perfect driver we’ve all had unintentional near misses, that could have been any of us. She didn’t go out with intention of causing an accident there are a lot of dodgy junctions everywhere like Smallbrook and Apse Heath roundabouts, she didn’t know the area which makes it worse, she wasn’t speeding or drunk.You have to think to yourself what sentence would a druggie or drink driver have got in same situation probably same as her or less because they would bring up their poor childhood or problems with ex blah blah ! They’re the ones that should get an attempted murder charge every time they get behind a wheel . I read she wanted to be a nurse that’s now gone down the pan and she has to live with it all her life too.
The roundabouts are too small that is why, people cut across them. They need to be three times bigger so there is space on them, otherwise they are just a cross road with a blob of paint in the centre.
As most of these sites have easy land available to increase the size of them three fold, then do it. Landowners should have no say as it is for public safety.
Imagine any large roundabout with an Island in the centre, all cars slow and no one needs to ‘chance’ pulling out.
All of you people saying it’s still not a fair sentence need to remember she wasn’t under the influence of drink or drugs and she didn’t mean to kill anybody it was human error and also saying the victims family has to life with that but so does the girl in prison and when she has kids they are gonna find out so think about everyone
Why wasnt her driving license taken from ,she shouldn’t be driving and a measly 2 yrs …..shocking especially for her loving family and friends of the lady that died
Well, it would appear that this was a most unfortunate but genuine Road Traffic Accident here – at WHAT by all accounts is a very dangerous and awkward road junction?! So, the question I would instead be asking is: what EXACTLY have IOW Council Highways and Island Roads already done about this, so as to improve Road Safety here for ALL Motorists. What lessons have THEY themselves learned? – otherwise ANY OF US could well be next!! As others have mentioned above, there are other recognised Accident Black-Spots here on the Island, yet nothing ever seems to be done about them?! Only 1-2 years ago, I myself mentioned in writing on Facebook about the high risk of vehicles running over the edge up on the Downs – this was immediately after Island Roads had “quickly” re-surfaced the road there. Then last year, at least 3 vehicles went over the edge, including a “Poundland” Delivery Lorry and a Waste-Lorry – then worst of all, the most tragic Accident where the Postal Lorry went right over the edge and head-first straight down to the bottom of the old Quarry – killing the unfortunate Driver (who was only in his forties, as far as I recall?!). YET – STILL NOW to this day (as far as I am aware?) – NOTHING more substantial has been done by IOW Council Highways and Island Roads, in terms of the installation additional safety features – such as barriers, extra warning signs and speed restrictions?! (IMHO, E&OE). Yours – most concerned!! SPARKES4Sandown & The Bay Area.
You call them Road Traffic Accidents, this term was changed a long while ago to Road Traffic Collisions which is more relevent, also they are not called black spots they are called KSI’s ( KILLED OR SERIOUS INJURY SITES ).
There are road markings to show there is a give way at that junction along with signage so for people to call this a pure accident are totally wrong, this was a definate Death by Careless driving but the sentence is far to lenient even after appeal.
I agree that the highways should do something with that junction to make it safer and the only thing i can see would be traffic lights as it is to small for a roundabout or any other road calming measures.
I believe you called them RTA’s on your comment? Anyway whatever label you want to put on it she didn’t do it deliberately or with malice or drunk or on drugs or without insurance. It was an accident!!! She is a young girl with her future ruined already with that on her conscience.
You seem to have a lot of word knowledge about these KSI’s or whatever you want to call it she has to live with what she’s done and maybe her driving instructor wasn’t up to scratch or the test centre or we could go on forever blaming
And how can people make comment about the families of the loved ones involved; personally when had my RTA because that’s what it was then I wouldn’t want anyone to suffer anymore than those involved witnessed. Some things are too horrific to say. Punishment enough for everyone I would think.
It’s like you’re reading from a rule book that really isn’t how life really is
Please read my comments correctly as obviously your eyesight is failing you, not once have I used the term RTA as you state and yes i do have a lot of knowledge re KSI’s after spending over 30 years dealing with this sort of carnage.
To say i am reading a rule book is pathetic, i have dealt with more RTC’s than you have had hot dinners, i am talking of experience not just a one off situation.
Finally it was not an accident as you keep harping on, this was caused by her carelessness not to be reading the road or its markings correctly, now trot along to spec savers as you obviously need to.
God that’s horrific I didn’t know about these accidents and we have to start learning by these tragedies. You’re right
She did probably failed to see the signs ….. but why.
All these people sympathetic to her ‘mistake’ which I can understand, we’ve all had the occasional lapse, but without detailed access to the court papers it’s equally reasonable to assume that her failure to pay ‘due care and attention’ could have had other, less forgivable, causes.
We don’t know so we have to trust to the courts.
I wonder if the above commenters sympathetic to her would be just as sympathetic if the person she killed was their loved one, Husband/Wife/Mother, etc.? I think not. It’s all relative, as usual.
If that had been a young white lad in a hot hatch, he’d have been sent down for a lot longer.
she should be banned from driving for life.
Take a wheel brace and kill someone with it, it is manslaughter. Put it in the boot of a car and run down the same person, 2 years.
I’m pretty sure caving someone’s head in with a wheel brace is the same… really hope you haven’t had offspring retard
I was in an RTA the a meaning accident I was in an RTA in which my father was killed and I was trapped for 2 hours and ended up on life support and life changing injuries. We did hit another car. He had a heart attack at the wheel. So that’s not just an accident no? Or should we prosecute my dead father
I think the comments that accidents don’t happen are absolutely ridiculous
She already has a life sentence living with an accident that sadly ended the way it did.
What’s the point in banning her from driving whilst she’s locked up, she’s not going to be driving anywhere anyway. Would make more sense if the ban started after her release.
…and when are the Council and Island Roads being taken to task over designing such an inherently dangerous junction? There have been a number of other accidents and plenty of near misses there due to the fact that the (usually uncut) hedge hinders visibility. Since the introduction of the unnecessary kerbstones the corners are also far too tight. Just look at the lorry tyre tracks several feet inside the kerb. As long as that is not remedied, Cllr Ward should also be taken to Court.