Shania Care-Slede sentenced for dangerous driving during Dove Stone wildfire

Shania Care-Slede, a 20-year-old woman, has been handed a 20-week suspended prison sentence and a one-year driving ban after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. The offense occurred on July 11, the same day a major wildfire broke out at Dove Stone Reservoir.

During the incident, Care-Slede was filmed driving without her hands on the steering wheel, using her mobile phone, and not wearing a seatbelt. Prosecutors alleged she was inhaling nitrous oxide, as she was seen on camera with a balloon at her mouth.

While she received a suspended sentence for the driving charge, Care-Slede has pleaded not guilty to arson and aggravated arson charges related to the moorland blaze. A trial for the arson charges is scheduled for May 2027.