Ellie Underhill: Driver admits causing death of woman who fell from car bonnet
A motorist has admitted causing the death of a young woman after she fell from the bonnet of his car as he drove it around a supermarket car park.
Ellie Underhill, aged 20, lost her fight for life eight days after the fall outside the Tesco Extra store in Burnt Tree, Dudley, on Boxing Day 2016.
Luke Hickman, of Wassell Road, Wollescote, Stourbridge, had been accused of her manslaughter but the Crown Prosecution Service has now agreed to allow the charge to lie on file.
The 19-year-old has also pleaded guilty to a charge of death by dangerous driving, which occurred a few days later, and perverting the course of justice.
The police were not made aware of the incident until a week later on the victim’s death in hospital from head injuries. Three others have admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
They are 21-year-old Ross Bingham, of Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Elly Phillips, of Seymour Road, Wollescote and Hana Edwards, of Grove Road, Wollescote, both 19.
All four defendants were due to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today for sentencing.
Ms Underhill, of Shearwater Drive, Brierley Hill, was perched on the bonnet of a moving silver Vauxhall Corsa when she fell at around 10.30pm on December 26. She was taken to Russell’s Hall Hospital by her acquaintances but the accident was not reported to police. The defendants were arrested two days later but appeals by detectives and the victim’s family for witnesses to come forward continued.
Paying tribute, her family said in a statement: “Our beautiful daughter Eleanor Jane Underhill was such a bubbly, lively girl and the life and soul of everything; she truly lived life to the fullest. We are totally devastated and really need to find out the truth of what happened that night. If anybody has any information about how Eleanor came to suffer her injuries, no matter how insignificant or small they believe that information to be, please get in contact with the police.”
