A teen cyclist died after a driver sped and crashed into him. The driver has been jailed for dangerous driving.
Elsender saw cyclists and sped up to pass them, reaching 71 mph in a 30 mph zone. He hit Jayden McGuinness, 16, who died from his injuries. People described Jayden as loving and said that he had a heart of gold.
Jayden had lost his father just weeks before, and his mother had died when he was 12. Elsender’s passenger was Jayden’s cousin who only discovered the victim’s identity after the crash.
Ethan Tait, the passenger, told Elsender to slow down, but Elsender claimed he did not hear. Tait was shocked to find his cousin hurt. Elsender was jailed for dangerous driving as Jayden’s family already faced prior tragedy, the loss of both of Jayden’s parents.
The incident occurred around 9 pm on September 27th of last year. Elsender drove a VW Golf west on Walker Road with his partner’s 18-month-old child and Jayden’s cousin, Tait, in the car.
Jayden cycled with a group of 15 to 20 kids. Elsender excited a roundabout behind them and accelerated. Tait asked him to reduce his speed, but Elsender continued to speed up quickly.
Rachel Glover prosecuted the case and said Elsender chose to speed past the cyclists, driving 71 mph right before impact. Tests showed he floored the accelerator one to five seconds before.
He passed some of the cyclists, but three were closer to the road’s center. He avoided two, but hit Jayden hard. Jayden was thrown from his bike, landed on the car windscreen, and then fell onto the road. Elsender braked, driving 55 mph on impact.
Glover said that with kids in front, other drivers would slow down and give the group space. Elsender, however, made a different decision that night.
Elsender seemed distraught at the scene, exclaiming “what have I done,” before driving off. The car had a damaged windscreen that impaired his vision, and an 18-month-old child was still in the car. He took them home, then returned to the scene.
He arrived to find a group of angry men who threatened him. He tried running, but they stopped him, and police arrived and arrested him quickly.
Police found traces of cannabis, exceeding the limit, and cocaine, while under the limit. He had only held a license for three months.
Jayden suffered head and leg injuries and died two days later. He lived with his grandfather, Brian White, due to his parents’ deaths.
White said Jayden loved martial arts and won many belts and contests. He had a YouTube channel, and the family loved watching his videos, remembering how happy he seemed.
White described Jayden as a loving boy, a fun brother and cousin, who had a close group of friends and younger siblings.
White said the family had faced much loss, including his mom’s death when he was 12, his dad’s death last August, and his grandma’s death last March. Jayden lived with White and had a two-year-old daughter himself, and planned to buy his siblings a house.
White went to the collision site but could not get near Jayden then. He saw him later in the hospital where he looked perfect, his face unmarked. However, people knew this would end badly.
Doctors said Jayden would not wake up and withdrew life support. He died two days after the crash.
Jayden’s friends held a memorial in a local park, which the family attended. White felt touched by the attendance. Friends lit candles on Walker Road and shared memories of Jayden.
Elsender, 29, had previous convictions, none of which were for driving offenses. He denied wrongdoing at first but pleaded guilty later, admitting causing death by dangerous driving and dangerous driving. He was jailed for eight years in total and received a driving ban of just over fifteen years, stating he doesn’t want to drive.
Judge Bindloss spoke to Elsender and said Jayden’s death was needless, with the family facing endless grief. No sentence can bring Jayden back.
The judge said Elsender showed remorse, crying during the hearing, and cares for his autistic daughter.
Brian Hegarty defended Elsender, acknowledged Elsender caused Jayden’s death, and expressed devastation and sorrow. Elsender apologized for his actions.
Hegarty said Elsender had cancer treatment and was not using drugs that day, and he returned to the scene later.