Grim moment driver high on cocaine and cannabis smashes head-on into another car

05 August 2023 , 14:42

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Grim moment driver high on cocaine and cannabis smashes head-on into another car

Terrifying footage captured the moment a drug driver high on cocaine and cannabis slammed head on into another car during a desperate and dangerous driving manoeuvre.

Dashcam footage shows the drug driver attempting a dangerous overtake along the A4093, near Bridgend, on October 15, last year. Lee Howard was behind the wheel, high on drugs, when he attempted to overtake the transit van in front of him.

But the 57-year-old from Tonypandy veered out into the opposite lane, failing to see Terrence Morgan driving towards him. The two vehicles collided head on in a horror smash, causing severe damage to both cars.

The shocking crash took place after Howard tried to overtake a van (Wales Online WS)

WalesOnline reported that Mr Morgan was left with chest and shoulder injuries, and was "confused and shaken" but thankfully was able to clamber out of his car, only battered and bruised. A sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the horrific details of the crash.

Howard, of St Andrews Court, suffered a broken sternum and was trapped in his vehicle. The police and ambulance service attended the scene and he had to be cut out of his car. He was subjected to a drugs wipe test which tested positive for cocaine and cannabis. At the scene, he told police "I don't know what happened."

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He was taken to a police station and was asked to provide a urine sample for testing, but refused to do so. In his interview, he claimed he had done a line of cocaine and smoked cannabis three days before the collision, which he could not remember. The defendant said he had been given the vehicle just six days earlier by a disability and mobility scheme.

Mr Morgan still suffers with pain in his neck and shoulder and has had his life severely impacted by the head-on smash (Wales Online WS)

Howard later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen. The court heard he had 50 previous convictions including dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified.

In a victim personal statement, Mr Morgan said: "I'm still suffering with pain in my neck and shoulder. I have gone back to work in a restricted capacity and it has affected my home life. My short term memory loss has been affected. I have flashbacks of the incident all the time. I have only just realised the scale of what could have happened and I'm surprised I was not more seriously injured." Mr Morgan said he used to rider motorbikes but had been unable to do so since the collision and rarely drives his car.

In mitigation, the court heard was using cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine at the time of the offence. He used to be a heroin addict but had beaten his addiction to the drug 15 years ago.

Recorder Ben Blakemore sentenced Howard to nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He was made subject to a six month curfew between 7am and 7pm, and ordered to carry out a 19 day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years.

Philip Dewey