A man who drove off from the scene of a crash, leaving his passenger to die in the road, has been jailed for more than four years.

Linda Franklin, 39, was passenger in a silver Audi A3 being driven by David Jankovic on Avon Way at around 6pm on Thursday, August 27 last year.

As the car approached the junction of Charles Pell Road and Avon Way at speed it failed to give way, causing it to drive into the path of another vehicle.

At the point of impact the front passenger door of the Audi opened and Ms Franklin fell from the vehicle into the path of the other vehicle.

Instead of stopping, Jankovic drove off with dash cam footage from the other vehicle showing the passenger door still open.

A short time later Essex Police received a call reporting seeing a damaged silver Audi stop in Davey Close before the driver got out and walked away from the area.

Checks on the Police National Computer (PNC) identified Jankovic as the registered keeper of the vehicle.

Through further investigative work, officers were also able to place Jankovic’s phone at both the scene of the collision and the location where the car was left.

The 23 year-old, of Hakewill Way, Colchester, was arrested in the early hours of the morning the following day In Sudbury.

He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday February 23.
He was jailed for four years and two months, banned from driving for seven years. He will also have to take an extended re-test.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Martyn Wells, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “David Jankovic’s reckless actions led to the death of Linda Franklin. Not only was his driving dangerous but after Linda had fallen out of the vehicle, he didn’t even stop to see if she was ok.

“Instead, he left her to die in the road.

“He is clearly a danger to other road users and will spend the foreseeable future behind bars.

“No sentence will ever bring Linda back but I hope this result will help her family to move forward.”