Watch as danger driver is detained by Cleveland Police following 'horror' smash on outskirts of Hartlepool
A danger driver who abandoned his five passengers – including one who had travelled in the boot – after a “horror” crash has been locked up.
Three of the people in Ford Fiesta driven by Dylan Crocker were seriously injured after the vehicle smashed into a wall in Coal Lane, Wolviston, near Hartlepool, shortly after midnight on Sunday, April 21, of last year.
One required extensive surgery after her pelvis shattered when it became detached from her spine and Cleveland Police say she later lost her job due to the extent of her injuries.
In a victim impact statement read to Teesside Crown Court, the 20-year-old woman said she has been told to “expect pain for the rest of my life”.
Another passenger also required spinal surgery and suffered broken ribs, nerve damage and had to learn to walk again.
The police say she also lost her job due to her injuries.
Members of the public helped administer first aid at the scene until emergency services arrived and also helped police locate Crocker.
After failing a roadside breath test, he failed to provide a further evidential sample for analysis and has now pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and having no insurance.
Crocker, 20, of formerly of Avenue Vivian, in Houghton, near Sunderland, has received 30 months in a young offenders’ institution and a 36-month driving ban.
Detective Constable Rachael Johnson, from Cleveland Police’s Collision Investigation Unit, said “this crash was horrific and has had long-lasting effects upon those involved”.
She added: “I welcome the sentence handed to Dylan Crocker and hope it sends a stark message to all drivers that taking risks with lives can have devastating consequences.
"This collision has certainly completely changed not only the lives of the injured passengers, but also those of their families.
“I’d like to express my thanks to those members of the public at the scene who assisted the passengers until emergency services arrived.
"They also helped to locate the driver who had left the scene. They did a remarkable job. Thank you to all those people.”