Drug driver jailed after killing his friend in car crash in Derbyshire town

Liam Haslam, who was 19 at the time, had been driving his Fiat Punto in Ilkeston at more than twice the speed limit at the time of crash.

The 20-year-old was also found to have been over the limit for Cannabis and his car had a defective tyre when he lost control.

Emergency services were called to the collision on Lower Stanton Road just after 10.30pm on Sunday 24 July 2022. It’s thought the car hit a kerb and collided with a concrete fence post before rolling into a tree.

His best friend at the time, Luke Worley, had been sitting in the back seat and had to be rescued from the car by fire crews along with Haslam’s girlfriend who had been a passenger in the front seat.

Paramedics attempted to save the 18-year-old and he was rushed to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

Liam’s girlfriend, who was also 18 at the time, was taken to hospital and suffered serious neck and abdominal injuries following the collision.

CCTV and black box footage from the car was examined as part of the police investigation, and it estimated Haslam had been travelling at speeds of more than 60mph in a 30mph zone in the moments before the crash.

Officers also discovered that his insurance company had issued two previous warnings to Haslam about the manner of his driving.

Haslam, of Bailey Brook Drive in Heanor, pleaded guilty and he was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 24 February to 32 months in a young offender institution. He was also disqualified from driving for 76 months.

Detective Constable Patricia Siddall-Hart, of our Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Together with Luke’s family, we want to this case to be a reminder to other young drivers of the very serious risks of speeding and driving under the influence of drugs.

“The standard of Liam Haslam’s driving posed a massive danger to anyone using the roads that night, and ultimately resulted in devastating consequences for his friends who were travelling with him. He also had a duty of care to ensure his passenger and best friend Luke, who was sat in the back, had been wearing a seatbelt.”

DC Siddall-Hart added: “Miraculously, Liam walked away from the collision with minor injuries, while Luke lost his life, and his girlfriend was seriously injured although thankfully, following medical treatment, she is now on her way to a full recovery.

“The Fatal Four- speeding, drink and drug-driving, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt- are huge factors in serious and fatal collisions. Please remember this when you get behind a wheel and help us to prevent other families from having to go through the same experiences of those involved in this case.”