A MUM-OF-THREE whose car was hit by singer Rag’n’Bone Man’s wife in a horror crash screamed in fear of her kids being orphaned, a court heard.
Samantha Keen was driving her three kids to an animal rescue centre in her Ford Fiesta when Zoe Graham, 38, smashed into her at 55mph in a Range Rover.
The horrific crash came just a year after Samantha lost her husband in a car accident.
Just before the accident in August 2023 Samantha had shared a tribute to her husband Jason online.
Graham, married to hit-maker Rag’n’Bone Man – real name Rory Graham, sobbed as she was spared jail over the crash yesterday.
A court heard Graham, who had said she was running late for a school run, had crossed double white lines to overtake a tractor and a line of cars on a “dangerous” stretch of road in East Sussex.
While travelling at 55mph, Graham’s black Range Rover then slammed into Samantha’s Fiesta as she started turned right into the animal sanctuary.
Samantha had her three young children in the car at the time and pleaded with paramedics not to leave them orphaned.
Hove Crown Court heard Samantha was screaming in terror at the fear of leaving her children, and the kids were crying and screaming from shock.
Samantha was cut from the wreckage and suffered a broken ankle, scarring to her face, and damage to her right hip, leg, and ribs.]
She has to take anti-migraine medication for headaches and intermittent dizziness, and all three children have post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the crash, the court heard.
Samantha’s 13-year-old daughter has been very affected by the crash, the court heard.
The mum had to wear an ankle boot and use crutches for months and suffered concussion and post-concussion migraines for a long time, leaving her unable to properly care for her children.
Her three children suffered cuts and bruises to their faces, heads, arms and legs but were otherwise physically unharmed.
In the statement, read to the court by prosecutor Rachel Beckett, the mum said: “I have permanent physical and mental difficulties.”
She said she now suffers from anxiety caused by “ugly scars on my face” and will need medication for the foreseeable future.
She also had to give up kickboxing and experiences increased anxiety when in cars.
Describing the incident as “heartbreaking”, she added: “My car was bought with the little money I had when my husband died and it has been destroyed.
“All of this could have been avoided.”
Graham was handed a 12-week jail term, suspended for 18 months, and disqualified from driving for a year for the crash.
She was originally charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, but her guilty plea to the lesser charge of causing serious injury by careless driving was accepted.
Graham told Hove Crown Court: “I was a little bit late to pick my boys up. They suffer with anxiety and I felt the need to get there.
“I saw the tractor and I hit her. I’ve never hurt anybody in my life and I would never.
“I’m a mum and I would never have wanted to put anyone through this.
“We are both mums and I know what children go through.
“I’m so sorry this happened because I would never want to put anyone through this.”
She said she did not realise there were three cars in front of the tractor and attempted to pass them all.
However, the front car, driven by Samanth, a was turning right into the animal rescue centre and was struck in the side.
The prosecutor said: “Her eldest child asked if mummy was going where daddy was.”
Speaking in court, the judge said the double white lines in the centre of a road meant it was inherently “dangerous” to overtake.
He told Graham: “I accept this is wholly out of character. All this was avoidable if you had driven in the way you were supposed to.
“I’m going to put you out of your misery, you’re not going to prison today.”
Judge Rennie continued: “I regard what you did on this occasion as wholly out of character.
“I have no doubt you are deeply, deeply sorry for what you did to – as you say – another mum.
“This is one of those horrendous cases where two families have been left devastated by the nature of the driving.
“I’m confident you will never, ever behave in a way which will bring you back to court.”
