Man sentenced for killing friend in Shropshire collision
A man has been sentenced to five years in prison following a collision in Shropshire which killed 17-year-old Madison Evans.
Sean Cox, of Severn Way in Cressage, was given the sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday, Monday 26 January, after previously pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard how on the evening of Tuesday 28 November 2023, the 21-year-old had picked his friend Madison up in his Vauxhall Corsa from her home address in Much Wenlock.
Minutes later, Cox lost control of the vehicle before colliding with a tree on the B4376 in Much Wenlock. Madison was ejected from car, where she suffered serious injuries, and was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency services attended the scene where Cox stated he had been driving around 65mph on the 60mph road. Roadside tests also found he did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system.
However, an investigation later found that the speedometer of the car was fixed at 70mph following the collision, and it is believed that Cox was likely travelling around 73mph, rather than the 65mph he claimed.
A vehicle assessment also found that both front tyres were below the legal tread depth requirement, which meant there was less grip between the tyres and the road surface, which was wet at the time.
Cox was arrested on Thursday 28 November 2023, and later charged with causing death by dangerous driving. Despite initially denying the charge, he pled guilty in November 2025 ahead of the trial starting.
Yesterday, the judge handed him a five-year custodial sentence for causing Madison's death, as well as a driving ban for eight years and four months.
PC Steve Wootton, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased with the sentence the judge handed to Cox yesterday, as it means a dangerous driver has been taken off the roads.
“Cox’s reckless actions that evening meant that Madison; a young woman who had her whole life ahead of her, sadly lost her life. He chose to drive in the manner that he did, knowing his tyres were not in any condition deemed to be legal.
“I hope this sentence sends a strong message to anyone who thinks it is okay to drive dangerously in a car not fit to be on the road, because it is not. Your actions can have a devastating impact on the lives of many others.
“I would like to commend Madison’s family and friends for their patience as we investigated this collision, and I hope yesterday’s sentence is able to bring them some form of closure to move forward with their lives.”
