Drivers accused of causing Georgia Mann's death on A249 near Sittingbourne appear at Medway Magistrates' Court
12:03, 21 January 2020
updated: 08:20, 24 January 2020
Two drivers have appeared in court accused of causing the death of a teenage girl.
Georgia Mann, 15, died after a van struck the rear side of the black Audi A1 Sport she was a passenger in on the A249 near Sittingbourne.
The car had broken down after running out of fuel on the Sheppey-bound slip road at Bobbing in 2018.
The court heard Georgia, from Milton Regis, was sitting in the car when it was struck by a white Volkswagen Caddy on October 24.
The van's driver, Benjamin Henley, today appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court to face three charges, including causing death by dangerous driving.
The 44-year-old, of Illustrious Close, Chatham, was also charged with causing serious injury to two of the occupants of the Audi - Sinead Hayes and Andre Trenton.
Trenton, a former footballer for Ebbsfleet and Dartford, was identified as the driver of the Audi. He was giving a lift to Georgia at the time of the collision.
The 21-year-old of Malvern Road, Gillingham, pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing death by careless driving.
Both defendants will next appear at Maidstone Crown Court on February 18.
The pair have been given unconditional bail.
Georgia, a pupil at Westlands School in Sittingbourne, was taken to King's College Hospital in London but died from her injuries on October 26, 2018.
The tragedy inspired friends and family to start a campaign urging people to get out of vehicles if they break down.
A vigil was held at The Grove in Sittingbourne on the anniversary of the crash.
Hundreds of people lined the streets in Sittingbourne to say a farewell to Georgia as a horse-drawn funeral procession took her through the town.
