Hit-and-run driver admits killing woman and two dogs in horror east London car crash

A driver has admitted to causing the death of a woman and two dogs in east London last Christmas.

Dantay Roche, 24, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, criminal damage, and causing death by driving an uninsured vehicle.

Roche had been driving a white Seat Leon at 61mph in a 30mph zone when he struck 48-year-old Marie Theobald as she was crossing Manford Way in Chigwell with her two dogs just three days before Christmas on December 22, 2023.

Marie

Met Police

The car hit Ms Theobald and her two Maltese dogs at around 5pm, with all three being pronounced dead at the scene despite best affords from emergency services.

The vehicle was found abandoned in a nearby cul-de-sac, Stevens Way, with significant damage.

Roche was quickly identified as the registered keeper of the vehicle and handed himself in the day after the collision.

He was released on bail pending further enquiries.

Met Police

Forensic investigations led by the Met Police found that he had been driving at more than double the speed limit when he hit Ms Theobald and her dogs.

CCTV from after the collision showed the driver parking the vehicle, before exiting with a passenger and fleeing the scene.

Roche was charged on July 29 this year and appeared at Thames Magistrates’ Court on September 30.

He pleaded guilty to the crimes at the Old Bailey on October 28 and has now been remanded in custody. He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on January 25 next year.

In a statement released in December 2023 following Marie’s death, her family said: “Marie was a loving mother, daughter, sister, niece and friend. Marie was an honest, hardworking, selfless woman who would do anything for anyone. Marie always put others first.

“The dogs Riley and Honey were much loved members of the family. They adored Marie as she adored them. May they all rest in perfect peace together.”

Detective Inspector Mark Braithwaite, who led the investigation, said: “This was an awful incident that resulted in Marie’s death in the most tragic circumstances just days before Christmas. My thoughts remain with her family and loved ones.

“We do not know why Roche was driving like he was that night, as he has never provided an explanation either to the police or the courts. But he drove dangerously fast at twice the speed limit on a busy road in a residential area, then took the cowardly decision to leave the scene after striking Marie and her two dogs.

“We built a strong case against him, with evidence from our forensic collision investigator showing how he was driving at 61mph in a 30 zone, with digital enquiries placing him in the area at the time of the collision.”