A grieving mother is facing the fifth anniversary of her teenage daughter’s death with the devastating knowledge that the man who killed her walked free from prison just 24 hours ago.
Mia Strothers was only 14 years old when she was mown down and abandoned by speeding hit-and-run driver Kevin Pryce on October 5, 2020. The schoolgirl died three days later from her catastrophic injuries, leaving her family shattered by grief.
Now, five years after the tragedy that destroyed her family, Vicky Orman has been forced to confront the reality that Pryce has been released from custody after serving just half of his 10-year sentence. The 50-year-old walked out of prison yesterday, the day after the anniversary of the collision and one day before the anniversary of Mia’s death.
The timing of the release has compounded the agony for Vicky, 45, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, who has already endured unimaginable loss. The trauma of losing her daughter was followed by another devastating blow when Mia’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Daniel Strothers, a 45-year-old joiner, was diagnosed with lung cancer within 18 months of his daughter’s death. The grieving father died just over a year ago, meaning Vicky has now lost both her child and the man she shared her life with in the space of less than five years.
On that terrible day in October 2020, Vicky received the phone call every parent dreads. She raced to Lightbowne Road in Moston in a state of panic, desperate to reach her daughter. The scene that greeted her would haunt her forever.
Mia lay on the roadside, her black fur coat soaked in blood, the victim of a driver who had been travelling at nearly double the speed limit in a car he knew had faulty brakes. Pryce had been driving at speeds reaching 57mph in a 30mph zone when he struck the teenager as she walked to school.
Rather than stopping to help the critically injured child or calling for emergency assistance, Pryce fled the scene. By the time he was arrested, he tested positive for drugs, adding another layer of recklessness to his already catastrophic driving.
Vicky spent every minute of the next three agonising days at her daughter’s hospital bedside, watching helplessly as medical staff fought to save Mia’s life. The teenager battled bravely, but her injuries proved too severe. On October 7, 2020, Mia lost her fight for life.
The investigation into the collision revealed the full extent of Pryce’s culpability. Police discovered his BMW was “unroadworthy and in a dangerous condition,” with six separate mechanical faults identified. Most critically, the car had defective brakes that severely compromised its ability to stop safely.
Pryce admitted to officers that he had been aware of the brake problems before the collision. He initially claimed he was driving fast to get the vehicle to a garage for repairs, but Greater Manchester Police established this was false. The truth was far simpler and more damning: he simply didn’t care about the risks he was creating for others.
Further investigation revealed Pryce had never taken or passed a driving test in his life. He was unlicensed, uninsured, and had no legal right to be behind the wheel. Despite this, he continued to drive a mechanically defective vehicle at dangerous speeds whilst under the influence of drugs.
At Manchester Crown Court, Pryce pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene, causing death whilst uninsured, failing to report the incident, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and banned from driving for life.
However, under standard UK sentencing guidelines, prisoners typically serve half their sentence in custody before being released on licence for the remainder. This means Pryce has served just five years behind bars for killing a 14-year-old girl through a catalogue of reckless decisions.
For Vicky, the release comes at the worst possible time. As she prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of Mia’s death tomorrow, she must process the knowledge that the man responsible for destroying her family is now walking free.
The compound tragedy of Daniel’s death from lung cancer has left Vicky to face these anniversaries alone. The joiner’s diagnosis came as he was still reeling from the loss of his daughter, and many who knew the family believe the grief accelerated his decline.
Losing a child is recognised as one of the most traumatic experiences a person can endure. For Vicky, that loss has been magnified by the subsequent death of Daniel and now the early release of Pryce, creating layers of grief and injustice that seem impossible to bear.
The case highlights ongoing debates about sentencing for fatal driving offences. Whilst 10 years represents a significant sentence compared to historical norms, campaigners argue that drivers who kill through deliberate recklessness should face far longer terms of imprisonment.
Pryce’s lifetime driving ban remains in effect, meaning he is permanently prohibited from obtaining a licence or legally operating a vehicle. However, given he was driving illegally at the time of the fatal collision, some question how effective such bans are in preventing determined offenders from reoffending.
As tomorrow marks five years since Mia’s death, Vicky faces the cruel reality that whilst her daughter remains gone forever and Daniel has also been taken from her, the man responsible for starting this cascade of tragedy is now free to rebuild his life.
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