Jake Kelly jailed for dangerous driving that killed friend Ross Rice

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Jake Kelly was jailed for seven and a half years, with the final year suspended, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of his friend Ross Rice in a 2023 crash near Celbridge. He was also disqualified from driving for eight years.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Kelly drove into the back of a lorry stopped at temporary traffic lights. He left the scene without telling responders that Rice was in the car; Rice’s body was discovered beneath tarmac from the lorry’s trailer a couple of hours later. The judge said Kelly’s speed left him no time to brake and that the crash caused Rice’s death.

The judge accepted that Kelly was genuinely remorseful. She ordered him to engage with the Probation Service and complete a speed awareness programme before applying for a new licence.