Highly impaired Newcastle teen caused fatal crash near West Auckland
Neil Mundell had picked up colleague Wilf Marley, both aged 63, minutes earlier as they headed to work in his Audi A1 driving in a south-west direction on the A688 near West Auckland, when the collision took place shortly after 5.40am on Thursday September 28. Durham Crown Court heard that 18-year-old Edward Alan Crawford, who was driving a Range Rover Evoque he had taken earlier that morning without the owner's permission, in Newcastle, was driving at high speed at the time of the accident, near Oakley Garage.
The court was told that Crawford, who had gone three days without sleep, fled the scene before the arrival of the emergency services, and was only arrested later after boarding a train from Bishop Auckland intending to travel back to Newcastle. A subsequent medical report showed traces of alcohol, and three different drugs in his system. Although Crawford told police he was a passenger in the Range Rover, forensic evidence from the driver's air bag pinpointed him as being behind the wheel at the time.
An eye-witness, who was driving in the same direction behind the Audi on the A688, said both were travelling at between 40 and 50-mph as they passed the garage after leaving a roundabout. Jonathan Harley, prosecuting, said the witness described seeing "a flash of headlights" and a car approaching at speed on the wrong side of the road. Although both drivers attempted to swerve out of the way at the last moment, they were unable to avoid a head-on collision due to the speed of the Range Rover.
The Audi was spun around 180-degrees and came to rest facing in the opposite direction. Mr Harley said the witness pulled up and immediately rang 999 before going over to the crashed vehicles. He said the Range Rover driver was speaking in a "bizarre manner", as if under the influence of drink and drugs, and seemed keen on leaving the scene, even considering driving the vehicle away, despite the damage.
When the blue lights and sirens of the emergency vehicles were approaching he made off through a bush, despite being urged to remain at the scene by the witness. Mr Harley said Mr Mundell suffered severe abdominal injuries and was declared dead, but Mr Marley, who managed to crawl from the damaged Audi, was taken to hospital with fractures to his spine, rib cage, pelvis, sternum and right ankle, while he also suffered bleeding within his abdomen. Crawford made his way to Bishop Auckland Railway Station and bought a ticket to Newcastle.
But an employee in the ticket office was suspicious due to the defendant's demeanour and alerted police. The train was detained at the station until police arrived and boarded, to arrest Crawford. When interviewed he denied responsibility and said he had drunk 20 cans of strong lager and taken two grams of cocaine.
He claimed he was the passenger and named the driver as someone called "Ritchie", but, when told the following day that his dna was on the driver's air bag, he made no comment. An expert concluded his driving would have been affected by intoxication, as he would have been "severely impaired" by a mix of cannabis, cocaine, diazepam plus alcohol. Crawford told police he could not recall taking vehicle, but said he had gone three days without sleep, having taken a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol.
The court was told the defendant, of West View, Elswick, Newcastle, has no previous convictions, but has three cautions, one for carrying a bladed article and cannabis possession only days before the fatal accident. Victim statements were read to the court on behalf of Mr Marley, who suffered life-changing injuries and still has flashbacks. He said he has lost his lifelong friend who he had always worked with and who picked him up every working day and described feeling guilt at surviving and being unable to save his companion.
Mr Marley said: "It's unbelievable that one person's actions have caused so much grief and upset for myself and two families." He said he still strives to get back to work as a welder. Mr Mundell's next of kin, cousin Brian, described him as a man simply picking up his "mate" to go to work.
He said he was planning his retirement and was thinking of getting a dog. Crawford admitted causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking. His counsel, Tony Davis, said the defendant will live with, "the catastrophic consequences of his own bad choices for the rest of his life".
Mr Davis told the court: "Through me he now offers his sincere apologies and deepest condolences to the families of the victims. "He knows no words from me will truly comfort them and he hopes his appearance today and the lengthy sentence he will receive may help them in some small way on their pathway to closure. "It's difficult to find an explanation other than the fecklessness of youth."
Mr Davis said Crawford had a "long history~" of complex difficulties revolving around substance misuse and a background of special educational needs, leading him to act impulsively and display a lack of maturity. 
He said it was "prolonged bad driving while highly impaired". Judge Adkin told Crawford: "Driving in your condition, for an 18-year-old with your difficulties, was highly likely to lead to the conclusion that you were a risk to the public." See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here[1]
Passenger was assaulted by drunk on Newcastle-bound flight[2] Woman facing sentence for road death of Sunderland couple[3] Driver was killed and passenger seriously injured near West Auckland[4]
A festive offer: Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just GBP4 for 4 months for a limited time only here.[5] He said Mr Mundell will be "greatly missed" by friends and work colleagues and Mr Marley has been left with life-changing injuries, all down to the defendant's "stupidity and impulsivity". Judge Adkin imposed a prison sentence of 112 months, nine years and four months, of which Crawford must serve two-thirds behind bars.
He was also banned from driving for ten years upon his release from custody and must pass an extended test to ever be legally permitted to drive in future, upon the expiry of the disqualification.
References
- ^ clicking here (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Passenger was assaulted by drunk on Newcastle-bound flight (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Woman facing sentence for road death of Sunderland couple (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Driver was killed and passenger seriously injured near West Auckland (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ A festive offer: Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just GBP4 for 4 months for a limited time only here. (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)