Walton man jailed following death of boy in road collision

A man has today, Friday 13 September, been jailed for more than six years following a road collision in Walton which resulted in the death of a 10-year-old boy last year.

At around 4.30pm on 20 April 2023, emergency services were called to reports that a child had been involved in a collision with a black Ford Kuga car on Abingdon Road.

The pedestrian, 10-year-old Charlie Lowe, was taken to hospital where he sadly died the next day, 21 April, from his injuries.

The driver of the Ford Kuga, 35-year-old Jon Harkins, remained at the scene and was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

At an earlier court hearing Harkins, of Scarisbrick Road in Walton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Today he was sentenced to six years and eight months following a guilty plea at Liverpool Crown Court.

Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, Lead Investigating Officer from Merseyside Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Our thoughts remain very much with Charlie’s family. It has been a very difficult period for them as their lives have been changed forever by this incident as they continue to grieve for the loss of their child, and they have been supported throughout this case by a specially trained Family Liaison Officers.

“Harkins drove in excess of the speed limit at 51mph along Abingdon Road which is a 20mph speed limit zone. This is a busy residential area at a time children were finishing school, so to drive in such a manner was grossly excessive and inappropriate.”

Detective Sergeant Roper added: “Excess speed devastates lives and causes unimaginable harm to people who become involved in road crashes. Charlie's family and friends have had their lives shattered, but the decisions that Harkins made on that day will have devastating effects on his family. No one wants to be involved in such incidents and we must change driving behaviour to reduce that risk of harm.

“Merseyside Police will not tolerate drivers who deliberately ignore the rules of the road and will be relentless in our pursuit of justice when any offences take place. We are committed to the prevention of serious injury and road death, to work towards Vision Zero – our strategy focused on driving down the amount of road traffic collisions in our regions and to lower the number of people killed and seriously injured on our streets. 

“However, this is something that we must all do in partnership and communities can also take a stand and help us to make the roads safer in the areas that we all live and share."