A man who was nearly three times the drink-drive limit and travelling at 141mph when he crashed into a car, killing a baby and the baby's aunt, has been jailed for 17 years and three months. Darryl Anderson, 38, admitted two counts of causing death by dangerous driving at Durham Crown Court.
The crash happened on the A1 motorway between Chester-le-Street and Durham at about 3.15am on 31 May. Eight-month-old Zackary Blades was thrown from his car seat into the opposite carriageway, while his aunt, Karlene Warner, 30, was thrown from the backseat into the front airbag. Both were killed instantly. The baby's mother, Shalorna Warner, who was driving the Peugeot 308, suffered minor injuries.
Anderson had been driving his Audi Q5 erratically from Newcastle airport after drinking on a plane following a shortened holiday. A photo he took of his speedometer moments before the crash showed he was driving at 141mph. Police found an empty vodka bottle in the wreckage. His breathalyser reading was 95mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath; the legal limit is 35mg.
Judge Joanne Kidd told Anderson he had been playing 'Russian roulette' with the lives of other drivers and that a fatal crash was inevitable. Analysis of the Audi's computer showed he had the accelerator fully depressed, did not brake before impact, and a collision warning light was illuminated. He had also been using WhatsApp while driving.
In addition to the prison sentence, Anderson was banned from driving for a further 21-and-a-half years after his release. The judge delayed sentencing to allow the grieving family time to prepare victim statements. The family paid tribute to Zackary and Karlene, describing the latter as 'a bright shining diamond'. Anderson, from Thorpe Hesley, South Yorkshire, told police: 'I drove into the back of a car. Sometimes mistakes happen. But I'm not a bad person.'
