Road traffic accident news
11/09/2008

Brighton car accident driver jailed

A Brighton driver who caused a fatal car accident while drunk and underage has been jailed for five years this week.

The boy, who was 15 years old at the time of the crash, had ignored police requests to stop as he drove the car at speeds of up to 70mph through residential streets, with a marked car in pursuit. After colliding with a lamppost and a wall, the driver hid until he was discovered by police dogs, and later lied to emergency services about having been the driver.

Three passengers, none of whom were wearing seatbelts, were all thrown from the car; one died from severe head trauma, and the others received severe personal injury. The fourth passenger, who was strapped in, suffered broken ribs and a blood clot on the brain.

A defence lawyer said that the driver had been to bereavement counselling and was now taking Valium as a result of the fatal crash. His family had been forced to move from the area.

Friends of the deceased applauded the judge's sentence, of five years in jail and a seven-year ban on driving, extended to eight due to being over the alcohol limit for driving.

The judge also read a statement on behalf of the mother of the boy who died in the car accident, which said, "She described her household as changing from a noisy and colourful home to a quiet and childless home with no soul. That, she says, is a result of the death of her son."