Death of doctor 'was preventable'

Haworth was due in court to answer affray charges the day he crashed

Residents of an Oxfordshire village say a crash which killed a young doctor could have been avoided.

Dr Margaret Davidson, 26, died when her car was hit by Nolan Haworth, 19, of Banbury, who was jailed for four years for causing death by dangerous driving.

People in Upper Heyford said the car was one of many illegal vehicles being driven by youngsters in the village, which they had reported to police.

A police spokesman said they had taken action on the villagers' complaints.

'Desperately disappointed'

The collision happened on the A4260 on 18 May.

Ian Lough-Scott, of Upper Heyford Parish Council, said he was desperately disappointed with what had happened.

"This car had been around the village for about a month before the accident and it had been reported as a car that was untaxed", he said.

How do you stop one maniac taking any car and driving in the way he did Insp Steve Bridges

"Cars were still being driven right up to the time of this appalling accident, which killed this young lady", he added.

But Insp Steve Bridges, of Thames Valley Police, said: "I don't know if we could have avoided this particular accident, because how do you stop one maniac taking any car and driving in the way he did?"

He added that a public meeting was held with local residents following the complaints, and seven cars had been seized before the collision.