A hit-and-run driver who left a pensioner to die after striking him with a stolen car in Birmingham has been sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.
The victim, a man in his 70s, was hit by a stolen grey Toyota on Highters Heath Lane in Kings Heath shortly after 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 4 last year.
Tyrone Clarke, 50, was behind the wheel and callously fled the scene, then calmly called a taxi to pick him up. He left the pensioner behind and instructed the taxi driver to take him home to Evesham.
Police discovered the wrecked vehicle abandoned about half a mile from the crash site. Investigations revealed that Clarke had stolen the car.
Clarke, of Gisborne Gardens, Evesham, was identified and arrested. He faced charges of causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving without insurance, and handling stolen goods.
At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, June 12, he received a sentence of six years and nine months. He was also disqualified from driving for over ten years and must pass an extended driving test before being allowed to drive again.
Detective Sergeant Julie Lyman of West Midlands Police said: “Our investigators found Clarke’s dangerous driving, in a stolen car, caused a man’s death. Our thoughts throughout our investigation have remained with the man’s family. They have been supported and updated by our specialist officers.”
She added: “Clarke callously left the scene and calmly called a taxi to collect him, clearly thinking he would be able to get away with what he’d done. I hope his conviction and sentence sends a clear message to drivers to think about the effect their actions can have.”
