Orpington Tragedy: Unlicensed Driver Killed 11-Year-Old Crossing Road
David Lockyer, 74, of Vinson Close, Orpington, was convicted for causing the death of 11-year-old Josh Osborne by careless driving. The shocking crash happened on 13 April 2019 at Court Road, near Goddington Lane. Lockyer will be sentenced on 22 January 2021 after a week-long trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Crash Details: No Brake, No Licence, No Mercy
The court heard Josh was crossing the road with three other boys when Lockyer’s Ford Fiesta hit him. Lockyer didn’t slow down or react to the first two boys stepping out in front of his car, maintaining speed instead. Josh and another boy had limited visibility due to the road layout and passing vehicles. Lockyer’s brake lights only came on 0.4 seconds before the impact.
After hitting Josh, Lockyer slowed to about 35mph, then bizarrely sped back up to 45mph. A driver behind chased him and confronted Lockyer at nearby traffic lights. Lockyer tried to escape by reversing and driving around the motorist, but then did a U-turn and returned to the scene, where he was arrested.
Licence Lapse: MOT Examiner Driving Unlicensed
Shockingly, Lockyer — an MOT examiner by trade — had been driving without a valid licence since January 2019, months before the fatal crash. He failed to renew his licence, meaning he was unlicensed at the time of the tragedy.
Josh was rushed to hospital but tragically died two days later on 15 April 2019.
Detective’s Statement: “An Absolutely Tragic Case”
Detective Sergeant Steve Cannings, Met’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is an absolutely tragic case in which the life of a young boy has been lost due to an act of careless driving.
The anguish of Josh’s family has been made even worse by the fact Lockyer should not have been behind the wheel as he did not have a valid licence.
I would like to praise the dignity and courage of Josh’s family who has attended every day of the trial and I support their efforts to ensure a case like this never happens again.”
