A COMMUNITY celebration will take place tonight to remember a mother-of-two who was fatally struck by a stolen HGV carrying four career criminals.

Jacqueline Wileman, of Oak Street, Grimethorpe, was walking on her daily route which included Common Road, Brierley, when the speeding truck failed to negotiate a left-hand bend and careered into her on September 14 of last year.

Her family wanted to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy by inviting the community to an event which will be held at Grimethorpe Working Men’s Club, on Brierley Road, tonight from 7.15pm.

Brother Johnny Wood told the Chronicle: “Jacqueline was a popular woman and local people in Brierley, Cudworth and Grimethorpe have all supported our family ever since.

“We just wanted to say a ‘thank you’ to those people by holding a night in Jacqueline’s memory.

“At the time of the incident, footage emerged of some of the HGV’s occupants trying to run away from the scene. Members of the public stopped this from happening, which just shows how close-knit communities like ours are.

“As a family we have been overwhelmed. It’s been a big comfort for us and her children, Kate and Ryan.”

Four men - Karn Hill, Wayne Carroll, Alan Mawhinney and David Mellor - are all serving sentences of between nine and 13 years in prison for causing Mrs Wileman’s death by dangerous driving.

The HGV was owned by Barnsley-based City Freight Services and Mellor, a former employee, held the HGV to ransom claiming he was owed two-and-a-half weeks’ wages, sparking a two-day police hunt in which the vehicle was witnessed being driven dangerously and stealing diesel from fuel stations before tragedy struck.

The family’s campaign for the current 14-year maximum term to be scrapped is continuing - with the full support of Barnsley East MP Stephanie Peacock who has called on the government to remove the limit on what’s available to judges in death by dangerous driving cases.

Johnny added: “On Sunday, people will also be re-tracing Jacqueline’s footsteps on the walk which she did every single day when she was hit by the HGV. There’s a small memorial for her on a tree on Common Road and we’ll be stopping there to pay our respects.

“We have no intention of giving up our fight for the 14-year limit to be scrapped as it’s absolutely necessary.

“The judge told everyone in court that he was restricted in what he could give and that simply should not be the case - it needs looking at because we could have these men walking the streets in as little as five years’ time in Hill’s case.

“As a family we automatically get a life sentence of our own. There should not be a maximum in place and it should be a life term as it is with murder.”