A DRIVER is to appear in court after she was charged with causing the death of her passenger following an horrific crash in Essex.

James Hore

A DRIVER is to appear in court after she was charged with causing the death of her passenger following an horrific crash in Essex.

The 25-year-old woman has been charged with causing death by careless driving following an accident in which Natalie Sayce died in August last year.

Miss Sayce, of London Road, Kelvedon, was a front-seat passenger in a red Ford Focus which was involved with a collision with a Mercedes C270 in Halstead at about 8am on August 21.

The 28-year-old bank worker, who lived with her partner, Micky, was declared dead at the scene.

The driver of the Focus, who has not been named by police, has also been charged with a second count of causing death whilst “driving other than in accordance with a licence”.

She has been released on police bail and is set to appear before magistrates in Colchester next month.

Miss Sayce was born in Chelmsford and lived in Great Baddow for the first six years of her life.

She then moved to Witham where she was a pupil at Howbridge Junior School before attending The John Bramston School, where she enjoyed singing and playing the flute, recorder and piano.

After studying art at Chelmsford College, her first job was with Marconi where she worked alongside her mother.

Four years later she joined the Witham branch of Barclays Bank and completed her personal banking exams shortly before her death.

Following her death, her parents, Colin and Kay Sayce said: “She was a beautiful and talented person who made us very proud.

“She enriched the lives of everyone who knew her and a void will be left in the lives of so many people she leaves behind.”

The driver of the Focus, who lives in the Halstead area, is set to appear at Colchester Magistrates' on March 12.

james.hore@eadt.co.uk