A RECKLESS driver hit speeds of 100mph before he killed a “beautiful” mum in a horror hit-and-run crash.

Ryan Scott crashed into 39-year-old Claire Laybourne as she drove home from a Christmas theatre trip in her Volkswagon T-Roc last December.

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Claire was killed in a horror hit-and-run crashCredit: Facebook/Claire Laybourne
 

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The mum was travelling in her car when Ryan Scott smashed into herCredit: Facebook/Claire Laybourne
 

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Scott has now been jailed for ten yearsCredit: NNP
The 28-year-old fled the scene in Holystone, North Tyneside, as emergency crews battled to save Claire.

Tragically, the mum-of-two died the following day in hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Scott was today jailed for ten years after he admitted causing Claire’s death by dangerous driving and causing death by driving while unlicensed and uninsured.

He also pleaded guilty to causing serious injury to Claire’s mum, who was in the car at the time, by dangerous driving.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Scott was travelling at a speed of 112mph just five seconds before the collision.

His car’s anti-lock braking system slowed the vehicle down to 90mph at the time of the horror but he was still 20mph over the speed limit.

One horrified witness said the Skoda was travelling at “unbelievable speed” through the rain and darkness and the sound of the collision was like a “bomb going off”.

Prosecutor Glenn Gatland said Scott, who had been on his way back from Tesco, initially got out of the Skoda but then ran away on foot and “never looked back”.

An investigation was launched by the Northumbria Police‘s Roads Policing Team and Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU).

Scott was identified as a suspect and arrested – with DNA on his air bag placing him behind the wheel when he crashed.

As well as a jail term, he was also handed a 13 year and eight month driving ban.

In a moving statement, Claire’s daughter, 22, told how her mum “loved and accepted everyone for who they were”.

She said her Claire was her “best friend”, adding: “The way my mum was taken from us has caused unimaginable pain. Her death was sudden, violent and unfair.

“We were robbed from the chance to say goodbye, and she was robbed from the chance to live the life she deserved.

“Knowing that the person responsible chose to leave her there has added a level of trauma and heartbreak that is hard to put into words.”

Claire’s partner of 14 years, Ben Dewar, said: “Explaining to a seven-year-old in the family room of the RVI that his mum is going to die and watch him struggle to breathe and sob uncontrollably and say ‘why my mam?’ was the hardest moment of my life.”

He continued: “Claire and I have been together for 14 years. We had a life mapped out together – not just big plans, but ordinary ones: raising our son, growing old together, sharing everyday moments.

“We also have big plans. We were planning to get married this September.”

He also said there is “not a minute that passes where I do not feel her absence in every room”.

The dad added: “Waking up every morning without her restarts the heartbreak. Returning to an empty house and the lonely nights where we would normally be discussing boring everyday things, break me all over again.

“Claire was deeply loved by everyone she met. She truly touched so many people.

“She mattered. Our life together mattered.”

Claire’s mum, who was injured in the crash, said she feels guilty for surviving while her daughter died as she had “so much more living to do”.

She continued: “Losing my daughter in such a senseless way is something I can’t come to terms with. I am sure everyone thinks that their daughter is wonderful, but my girl truly was.

“The loss of Claire is something I don’t think I’ll ever get over, but the loss to her partner, daughter and her little boy is truly horrendous.

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Claire was rushed to hospital but sadly could not be savedCredit: NNP
 

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Her devastated family have paid tributeCredit: Facebook/Claire Laybourne