Court hears of hit and run horror

5:20pm Tuesday 7th October 2008

A HIT-and-run driver who killed a mother-of-two when he struck her at twice the speed limit set fire to his car in a bid to cover his tracks, a court heard.

Laura Entwistle, aged 44, was flung into the air in Wigan Road, Deane, when she was struck by the car close to the Rumworth Arms pub at around 2.50am on January 21, 2006.

Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard the car was driven by Daniel Taylor, aged 23, who was giving his friends a lift home from The Wigan Pier Night Club.

Mark Monaghan, prosecuting, said Taylor drove away from the scene of the accident and then set fire to his blue Rover car and told his passengers not to say anything about the smash.

Taylor, from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, hit Mrs Entwistle so hard the windscreen of his car smashed.

Mr Monaghan said that Taylor was only tracked down after extensive forensic inquiries were carried out by the police at the scene of the crash. Taylor denies causing the death of Laura Entwistle by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

Proceeding.