Death crash driver was ‘in a bit of hurry’

Mar 7 2008 by Hilary Clixby, The Journal

A TEENAGER accused of causing a crash which killed his friend admitted he had been in “a bit of a hurry”.

Drew Dodd, who had passed his driving test just weeks before the collision, said he had been driving “quite fast” on the 60mph B6354 near Berwick in Northumberland.

But giving evidence at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, he denied he had been travelling at anything like the 95mph his front seat passenger claimed during their journey.

The 18-year-old lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa SRi on a blind crest of the B6354 near Berwick on January 9 last year.

Prosecutors allege he was travelling at not less than 85mph when he lost control of the car, causing it to cross a grass verge, hit a dry stone wall and repeatedly roll over before coming to rest on its roof.

He and two of his passengers survived the collision, but16-year-old Craig Garland, who was in the back of the car, died at the scene.

Giving evidence yesterday, Dodd said he had been heading towards Allerdean to visit a friend at the time of the late evening crash.

He said he had been in a “bit of a hurry” because he had a flight to catch the next morning and said he was driving “quite fast”.

But he rejected a claim by front seat passenger Stevie Simpson, 18, that he had reached up to 95mph during the journey.

“No, nothing like that, no.” he said. “I wouldn’t drive at 95mph.”

He also told the jury he knew he did not have his foot down to the floor during the journey and that: “At the time I did not feel I was driving dangerously.”

Dodd said although he had travelled on that particular road a number of times before, he had not expected as he drove up the crest that the road would drop to the right in the way it did.

Dodd, of Palace Street, Berwick, denies causing Craig’s death by dangerous driving.

He described how after he and two of his passengers got themselves out of the car after it came to rest on its roof, but quickly realised Craig was missing and shouted out for him, eventually finding him in the car.

“I tried to talk to him to see if he was conscious,” Dodd said. “I looked down to see if he was breathing and checked his pulse.”

Dodd said he then borrowed a mobile phone to ring the emergency services. He was taken by ambulance to hospital with pains to his back and arms, and he also suffered a knock to his head.

He said that apart from his physical injuries he was feeling “very emotional and upset”. He also told the court he was “very, very sorry” for what had happened to Craig. The trial continues today.