A young woman who consumed rosé wine at the beach before causing a car accident that led to the death of a baby boy has been spared imprisonment. Stevie Steel, 24, was driving when her car crashed into a parked vehicle and overturned in Clacton-on-Sea in July 2022. The collision resulted in six-month-old Harry Kiely being ejected from the car window, resulting in fatal injuries.
Before the crash, Steel, along with the baby and his 22-year-old mother Morgan Kiely, had spent several hours at the beach, where they had purchased three bottles of rosé wine. Despite appearing only “tipsy and happy” according to Steel’s ex-partner, who offered to drive them, they decided to drive to Morgan’s grandmother’s house.
During the short journey of just over a mile, Harry was not properly secured in his car seat, which was not fastened in the vehicle. Steel, momentarily distracted, collided with a parked car, causing Harry to be thrown out of the car window, resulting in fatal head injuries.
Described as a tragic incident by Judge Mr. Justice Jay, he expressed that Steel should have accepted the offer of a lift instead of driving. Despite her remorse and previous good character, Steel pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while exceeding the legal alcohol limit. She received a 12-month suspended prison sentence, a five-year driving ban, and must pass an extended driving test before regaining her license.
Steel, who has shown remorse and reached out to anti-drink driving charities, aims to educate young people on the serious consequences of such offenses. Morgan Kiely, 22, received a two-year suspended prison sentence for manslaughter by gross negligence. Judge Jay emphasized that Harry’s safety was Morgan’s responsibility and should have been her top priority that day.