2 days ago
Reckless boy racer, 19, who broke the spine of girl, 16, in 88mph crash while 'showing off' just weeks after he passed his driving test is sentenced
A boy racer who broke a 16-year-old girl's spine in a 88mph crash while 'showing off' just moments before has been sentenced to a year in a young offenders institution.
Reckless, Elliot Harris, 19, had only passed his driving test three weeks before the horror crash took place in Widnes on September 3, 2023.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the then 17-year-old had picked up the two girls from a dance class, before 'showing off' and driving at speeds of over 80mph.
The girls pleaded he slow down as he sped over a roundabout before he lost control and crashed in a 30mph zone near a junction on Alder and Water Lane in Cronton.
Following the crash, he urged passengers - a girl and two boys - to abandon a young female passenger whose spine had been fractured by the collision.
'He left me injured, terrified and in unimaginable pain without helping me, even without checking. I honestly believed I might die,' the injured girl told the court.
In a victim impact statement, she explained that she had never met Elliot, nor spoken to him, prior to the incident, but her friend went to the same college as him.
Reliving the horrific incident which dashed her professional dancing dreams, she told how she was 'rushed to hospital in agony', as she was left scared 'not only by what happened, but by what was to come.
'The surgery terrified me and so did the thought that I might never walk again. I was in hospital for a long time and it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.'
He has now been sentenced to a year in a young offenders institution after breaking who broke a 16-year-old girl's spine in the 88mph crash while 'showing off'
Explaining how she has not been able to keep up with her dancing peers as a result of her injury, she said she has lived 'with constant pain, numbness and tension'.
'Dance wasn't just something I loved, it was who I was and what I wanted my future to be,' she said, according to The Liverpool Echo.
'I have lost the strength, stamina and the flexibility I once had. Simple things are now a struggle. I'm no longer able to perform to the standard I once could.
'It's heart-breaking I have worked so hard for something I now may never achieve.'
She concluded that the crash didn't only break her spine, but parts of her life she is 'still trying to rebuild'.
'It's all still with me every day, and knowing the person responsible ran away and refused to take responsibility makes it even harder.'
Martine Snowdon, defending, argued Harris had limited understanding of how dangerous his driving was due to his lack of experience.
'He has very much learned that lesson in a way that could only have been more effectively learned if there had been a fatality,' she said.
Ms Snowdon argued that the 19-year-old had demonstrated a 'strong moral character' and a 'role model' to others in all other aspects of life.
'He's that sort of person, and feels the shame and remorse of his actions more so than perhaps someone who was not so caring and sensitive towards others would.'
Harris, of Whitstable Park, Widnes, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He had no previous convictions.
Judge Mark Bradshaw sentenced Harris to a year in a young offender's institution, while also disqualifying him from driving for five and a half years.
After the ban, Harris will be required to undergo an extended re-test.
Sentencing, Judge Bradshaw told how Harris speeding 'grossly in excess of what was safe'.
'You ultimately crashed into fences. One sees from the body footage police took the significant level of damage to the car your driving caused.
'More importantly was the impact on the passengers. You caused a complex fracture to (the girl's) vertebrae.
He detailed how the young girl was 'terrified', having to stay in hospital for ten days, as well as undergo surgery where rods and screws were placed on her spine.
'It was frankly terrifying for her. She was in excruciating pain. She couldn't care for herself for many weeks. She had impaired mobility, flashbacks and anxiety.
'She missed the beginning of her college course at a prestigious dance college. She lost that chance to progress in her dance and her self esteem plummeted.'
The judge also added how the teenager had been 'significantly' impacted by her injuries, even two years later, continuing to live with 'ongoing pain and mental scars'.
It was also heard how the other girl involved in the crash was also impacted by the crash, experiencing aches, bruising, neck and back pain as well as whiplash.
'She suffered nightmares, flashbacks, and also guilt because she was able to return to dancing the way (her friend) could not.'
He added: 'What happened that night could have been so, so much worse. Your irresponsible and dangerous actions have changed people's lives.
'It's frankly chilling to hear the impact from the victim statements of these two passengers.
Describing their victim statements as 'chilling', the judge added how the incident occurred within only three weeks of Harris passing his test.
'And accounting for your time abroad after your test, it was only four days when you had the opportunity to drive in the community.
'The explanation you gave is that you were showing off, and frankly I agree that was probably, sadly your motive at the time.'
