A 19-year-old UK driver, whose three teenage friends were killed when he lost control of his car while inhaling nitrous oxide and speeding, will spend the next decade in jail after pleading guilty to causing their deaths.
Thomas Johnson was driving his BMW 3 Series at nearly 100mph in a 30mph zone before losing control and crashing into a tree in June 2023, the BBC reported. The crash killed passengers Ethan Goddard, 18, Daniel Hancock, 18, and Elliot Pullen, 17.
Videos recovered from the scene showed Johnson and his passengers inhaling balloons of nitrous oxide, laughing and driving recklessly moments before the collision. Only one passenger, Goddard, was wearing a seatbelt.
"He's ruined everyone's life, he's taken three, ruined his own life, devastated ours, just for showing off," Robert Goddard, Ethan's father, said.
Elliot's parents, Kate and Giles Pullen, were unable to see their son's body due to the extent of his injuries. "[We've been] sucked into a world of grief, sadness and pain that we still cannot begin to process," they told the BBC. The family now joins advocacy groups to campaign for graduated licenses for young, inexperienced drivers to prevent similar tragedies.
Johnson, who suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, told police he has no memory of the crash nor what led to it. He will face an 11-year driving ban and nearly a decade in jail as he serves three consecutive sentences of nine years and four months for each of his deceased passengers.
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