Police Bodycam Footage Reveals Moment After Fatal Drink-Drive Crash
This is the harrowing moment police officers confronted a dishevelled drink-and-drug-driver who was holding a bottle of beer just minutes after causing a horror crash that killed a 17-year-old girl. Keilan Roberts, then 21, had lost control of his car while under the influence of a dangerous cocktail of cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, and alcohol, resulting in the death of his passenger, Chloe Hayman, in Fochriw, South Wales.
The Night of the Tragedy
Roberts and Chloe had been at a nightclub together earlier that evening. Initially, Roberts offered Chloe a lift home with his friends, with plans to drop her off in the morning. However, he abruptly changed the plan during the journey, asking his friends to drop him off at his parked Skoda Octavia instead. He then decided to drive home himself, with Chloe in the passenger seat.
In the early hours of July 24, 2022, Roberts crashed the vehicle, leaving Chloe with fatal chest injuries. She tragically died at the scene. The car, which would have failed an MOT due to the poor condition of its tyres, collided with railings on a cattle grid as Roberts descended into the village of Fochriw in dark and drizzly conditions.
Confrontation with Police
Newly-released police bodycam footage, featured in the Channel 4 series 999: What Happened Next, captures the immediate aftermath. An officer is seen approaching Roberts at the roadside, where he appears dazed and is holding a bottle of Peroni beer. The officer says, 'I'm just going to speak with the man who is thought to be the driver.' Roberts confirms he was driving and spells out his name before being instructed to place the beer bottle on the ground.
The footage then shows Roberts being taken into a police car for a breathalyser test. He admits to drinking after the collision, stating, 'I had four bottles of Peroni in my car and that happened. I will be honest with you. Soon as that happened, I drank it all at once.' This admission potentially complicated police efforts to determine his level of intoxication at the time of the crash.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Roberts later pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by careless driving while under the influence, with each charge reflecting the different substances he had consumed. He was initially jailed at Cardiff Crown Court in June 2023 for three years and nine months. However, following a challenge from the Attorney General's Office, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to five years and three months in September of that year.
In addition to his prison term, Roberts was banned from driving for an extended period of 12 years and seven-and-a-half months, up from an initial ten-year ban imposed at the crown court. He has recently been released from prison on licence after serving the required portion of his sentence.
Impact on the Victim's Family
The crash has left Chloe's family devastated. Her mother, Danielle O'Halloran, said in a victim personal statement that her daughter's death left her 'utterly broken.' She added, 'I thought time was meant to heal but this isn't the case when you lose a child. If anything, it hurts more and more each day.' Chloe's stepmother, Alix Hayman, described Chloe as a 'fiercely loyal' girl who 'lived and loved life,' telling Roberts that he had 'torn this family apart.'
Since the tragedy, Chloe's mother has urged people against driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, highlighting the devastating consequences that such actions can have on families and communities.
