Elswick teenage car thief jailed for killing man in head-on collision and fleeing scene

A teenage driver who was behind the wheel of a stolen car has been jailed after killing a man in a head-on collision. Edward Crawford stole a Range Rover in the early hours of September 28 this year and took it for a drive in County Durham[1]. But shortly before 5.30am, the 18-year-old crashed into an oncoming car on the A688, Staindrop Road, near West Auckland.

The head-on crash left one man dead and another man with serious injuries. Crawford, who escaped injury, fled the scene before being located and arrested by police at Bishop Auckland[2] train station. At a previous hearing at Durham Crown Court,[3] Crawford pleaded guilty to one charge of causing death by dangerous driving, one charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and a charge of aggravated vehicle taking.

On Friday, the teenager, of Elswick[4], Newcastle, was jailed for nine years and three months. He was also disqualified from driving for 10 years. In a statement following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Michael Hogg, of Durham Roads and Armed Policing Unit, said: "Crawford had a choice about what he did that day.

He chose to steal a car - had he not done that a man would still be alive today looking forward to Christmas[5] and another man would not be living with the consequences of what he did for the rest of his life.

His actions are unforgiveable, and my only hope now is that the knowledge that he is now behind bars provides some kind of closure for all those affected by what happened that day."

References

1. ^ County Durham (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ Bishop Auckland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Crown Court, (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
4. ^ Elswick (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
5. ^ Christmas (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)