A drunk-driver who enjoyed a seven hour drinking session before crashing his car rolled a cigarette instead of calling 999 after he killed a young woman in the passenger seat. Daniel Crawshaw, 28, drove his BMW Coupe on March 7, 2020 after drinking in Holmfirth and Huddersfield, before he went over a grass verge and smashed into a wall.
A court heard that Crawshaw had been warned by people who were with him about drink driving, but instead told them: "Vodka five and drive." West Yorkshire Police said it is believed he consumed 10 alcoholic drinks before he met up with a friend and 20-year-old Keegan Egdell, who tragically died in the crash on Huddersfield Road.
Prosecutor Jonathan Sharp told Leeds Crown Court on Monday (December 19) that Crawshaw, of Bourne Walk, Barnsley, had failed to slow down before the bend at the junction of Crosland Spring Road, where the BMW went over a grass verge, hit a road sign and then a wall, reports YorkshireLive.
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Keegan's body was found headfirst in the passenger footwell. The man in his 20s, who she was sat in the back passenger seat with, suffered serious injuries. Neither were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, the court heard.
Mr Sharp said Crawshaw got out of the car and was seen by a passing taxi driver rolling a cigarette before trying to get into the taxi in an attempt to leave the scene.
The prosecutor said CCTV showed him 'not slowing down at all as he approaches the bend.' He added: "It also shows as he approached the bend he veered to the other side of the road. Marks then suggest he tried to correct the position but failed to do so. The car left the road and went through a grass verge and knocked over a chevron board before colliding with a wall.
"After the vehicle came to a rest he [Crawshaw] got out of the car. He didn't call 999 but he rolled a cigarette and called his dad at 3.24am. A passing taxi driver called the police at 3.14am.
"The [taxi] driver saw smoke from the car and slowed down. When he slowed down he asked the defendant if he was alright and he put his thumb up. He stumbled over to the taxi and the driver locked his door and the defendant tried the handle - it seemed like he wanted to get in. The driver got the impression he was trying to do a runner so he drove off."
Keegan was tragically pronounced dead at the scene when police and paramedics arrived. The second passenger was taken to hospital and was put into an induced coma. The court heard his consciousness improved the next day but he suffered with memory issues for six months.
Crawshaw was arrested and told officers he wanted to speak to his father and a solicitor before blood samples were taken. Once they were - two-and-a-half-hours later - results showed he was one and three quarters over the legal drink-drive limit.
In his first interview he told police he had had a total of four pints of lager and no spirits. He said he had offered to take Keegan and the man home but could not remember what route he took from Huddersfield.
He said he had driven on the road where the collision took place 'a million times' and said: "It's quite a nasty left-hand bend - it has a bit of a nasty gradient so you have to slow down for that corner."
The court heard Crawshaw was interviewed again in July 2021 when the police investigations concluded. He made no comment. In a victim impact statement, the surviving passenger told how he had received a call from Crawshaw after he had put an insurance claim in. In the call, Crawshaw asked "why he was suing" and said it would not be found he was drunk "and you won't get a penny, so crack on".
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at a hearing in November this year. Crawshaw had no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Richard Holland, said: "There is nothing I can say that will ever begin to correct the situation. I wish there was only something I could say that could give some modest comfort to them [the families of the victims.]"
The barrister said it was Crawshaw's 'conduct' and 'inability to wrestle with the profound consequences of what he did that night' that led to his guilty plea, rather than lack of remorse. He said: "He didn't set out to cause harm to anybody at all."
The court heard Crawshaw had been seeing a grief councillor and 'found the situation very difficult to deal with'. Mr Holland added: "It is evident from material from the councillor that his contrition and remorse is well sounded and it was not simply self pity on his part and there has been far reaching effects so far as the defendant, his mother, stepfather, father and his siblings.
"This is a very, very tragic occasion for all concerned. The defendant necessarily falls into a different bracket because he is the one who is responsible for this arising."
His Honour Judge Khokhar jailed Crawshaw for eight-and-a-half years. Sentencing him, he said: "There is nothing that the court can do to make things easier for the family in terms of passing sentence, whether it's long or short, it's not going to provide any comfort in so far as the family is concerned.
"Unnecessarily, a young lady who had everything to live for lost her life - a young man was seriously affected. He could have lost his life. After the incident it was quite clear that you had some awareness. You was nearly twice the limit."
Crawshaw was also disqualified from driving for 75 months. At the end of that period he will be required to take an extended driving test.
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