This is the moment a teen driver who had only just passed his driving test left his friends with life-changing injuries after losing control of his car and smashing into a house. Jack Clark, 19, had only passed his driving test 24 days before the crash.
He was carrying six passengers in his Ford Fiesta, despite it being designed for just four, and had had the car for just two weeks, police said He was driving "erratically", swerving in and out of lanes at speed, the court heard.
Police said his friends were scared and "repeatedly pleaded with him to slow down". In the CCTV footage, Clark loses control and mounts a kerb, causing the vehicle to spin and crash into a house.
Everyone in the car, including Clark, suffered serious injuries. One of his friends was put in an induced coma after suffering organ damage, bleeds to the brain and a collapsed lung - all from which he is still recovering.
The collision happened in December 2021. The ambulance had declared it a major incident due to the amount of resources needed at the scene.
Clark, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to four counts of dangerous driving and was jailed for two years and three months. He will be disqualified from driving for four years and must spend at least half of the term in custody before being considered for release on licence.
Sgt Tom Pearson, who led the investigation, said: “Jack had only passed his driving test 24 days prior to the collision, and had only had the car for 17 days. His driving was reckless, dangerous and has evidently had serious consequences for all involved.
“Speeding and driving dangerously is not impressive – especially when you risk serious and devastating consequences as evidenced in this case. Just prior to the collision, his passengers repeatedly pleaded with him to slow down and were understandably scared of the manner in which he was driving the car.
He added: "I hope Clark is aware, that as result of his reckless use of the road, he was fortunate that his actions did not leave a family grieving for their loved one."
