Man lost his life after driving his BMW at 133mph in horrific crash

'He started to rag it and go really fast as he knew there were no speed cameras...'

22:01, 25 Sep 2025

A, known for his fun-loving nature, tragically lost his life after driving his BMW at a reckless speed of 133mph. Tom Grindey, 21, had twice drove from Trentham Gardens roundabout to Trentham Monkey Forest roundabout in Stoke-on-Trent, with his friend in the front passenger seat.

On their third trip, Tom's BMW collided with a Renault Clio that was overtaking another vehicle on the A34. The impact sent his car hurtling into a layby and onto a grass verge before it ended up in a wooded area.

Tragically, Tom was pronounced dead at the scene.

During an inquest into his death at Stoke Civic Centre, Tom's friend and passenger, William Plant, expressed disbelief at the speed of the car when he first got in, reports the Manchester Evening News[1].

William described Tom, who worked as a car sprayer at Fast Lane Motors in Trentham, as a 'risk-taker and a thrill seeker'.

He recalled: "He started to rag it and go really fast as he knew there were no speed cameras in this section.

He went past the layby. I could see people had started to gather there. He seemed in control.

"Tom was still accelerating, I saw the Clio start to indicate.

I thought, 'What is he going to do'? He turned the wheel to the right with both hands. The airbags went off.

I did not come around until I saw blue flashing lights.

"Tom would never have wanted to put me in any danger. It was just the wrong place, wrong time. If I was to say who was to blame I would say Tom as he was going too fast.

I do not think the driver of the Clio was to blame. He just loved the thrill of driving fast."

Paying tribute to his mate, William said: "If I ever had any issues he would be there for me every single time."

In a touching statement, Tom's grandmother, Christine Gamble, described Tom as a 'fun-loving person who liked to party'.

She continued: "He thoroughly enjoyed his work. He was a season ticket holder at Stoke City.

He was not a smoker and not an excessive drinker. He had been on a health kick and lost two-and-a-half stone. He started regularly running 10km after work.

"He had driven since he was aged 18.

His first car was a Ford Fiesta but he always wanted a BMW. He always used a seatbelt, never used a mobile phone and followed the rules of the road.

"In August 2024 he was in a road traffic collision. He bought a dashcam which was fitted on the day of the collision.

He bought the grey BMW in September 2024. He resprayed it and had new tyres fitted and fitted a dashcam. It looked like a brand new car."

Mrs Gamble reported that on the day of the collision, Tom, from Trentham, visited the barbers before working at Powerleague, Trentham Lakes, according to Stoke-on-Trent Live.

Mrs Gamble added: "He was in his usual jovial mood." Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here[2].

He watched Stoke City and later went out.

Mrs Gamble added: "Tom was a fun-loving and very generous person. He would do anything for anybody. He was a popular person and was loved by everyone."

PC Adam Shaw, from Staffordshire Police's forensic collision unit, who examined the crash, said emergency calls were received by the force at 8.32pm on November 2.

Upon his arrival, he discovered a Renault Clio remained in the carriageway whilst a BMW had ended up amongst trees in a wooded area beside a layby.

Weather conditions were dry with good visibility.

The road section between the Trentham Gardens roundabout and the Trentham Monkey Forest roundabout carries a 60mph speed limit. PC Shaw explained the BMW's front nearside struck the front offside of the Renault Clio, causing it to begin sliding.

He said: "It started to go sideways. It hit the grass verge.

There were not full marks on the grass indicating it was airborne slightly. The BMW ended up facing the way it had come, facing back towards Trentham. There were no defects found on either vehicle."

Dashcam footage revealed the BMW was making its third journey from Trentham to the Monkey Forest when the collision took place.

PC Shaw said: "From the clips it is clear that the BMW was driving erratically and at excessive speed."

He further noted that someone in the car activated the hazard lights.

Another officer calculated the average speed of the BMW over a 72 metre distance before the collision to be 133.5mph, with the speedometer frozen at approximately 135mph.

The Clio driver was preparing to overtake another vehicle.

PC Shaw stated: "The BMW came out of nowhere. She did not see the BMW. When she has done her mirror checks it is likely the BMW was not in her mirror or it was that far back she did not perceive it to be a hazard to her.

If there had been headlights in the distance behind her she would not expect the headlights to be beside her in a couple of seconds."

The inquest heard that no action was taken against the Clio driver or anyone else as a result of the collision. A toxicity report revealed no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Dr Terry Jones, who conducted a post mortem examination, attributed the cause of death to 1a, multiple injuries and 1b, road traffic collision.

Assistant Coroner Lindsey Tonks concluded that Tom's death was the result of a road traffic collision.

She remarked: "This was an absolutely tragic incident with a lasting impact on all his loved ones. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.

"He had a long-standing love of cars.

He was said to have been a thrill-seeker. Fast cars were a passion he enjoyed in life but sadly would ultimately lead to his demise. He is someone who is greatly missed by those around him.

"On November 2, 2024 Thomas Lewis Grindey was driving at excessive speed on the southbound carriageway of the A34 Stone Road.

He collided with a vehicle travelling in the same direction which was attempting to overtake another vehicle at the time.

Mr Grindey died at the scene."

References

1. ^ the Manchester Evening News (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
2. ^ to our crime newsletter here (www.walesonline.co.uk)