Teenager Receives 10-Year Sentence for Fatal 'Idiot' Driving Incident
A teenager has been handed a 10-year prison sentence after his reckless and dangerous driving led to a horrific head-on collision that claimed the life of his friend and left another severely injured. Kiran Hanson, now 21, was described in court as "driving like an idiot" and behaving as if he were behind the wheel of a race car prior to the fatal crash.
Devastating Consequences of Reckless Behaviour
The tragic incident occurred on June 10, 2024, on Pastures Hill in Littleover, when Hanson lost control of his vehicle while overtaking at high speed. The car mounted a kerb and verge before colliding head-on with a Range Rover being driven by 57-year-old Sami Zeidan, who was returning home from the gym at the time.
Benn Johnson, aged 22, suffered fatal abdominal injuries in the collision and died at the scene. His younger brother Finn, then 18, sustained severe injuries including a fractured spine and has been left with permanent physical and emotional scars from the traumatic event.
Heartbreaking Victim Impact Statements
In moving statements read to Derby Crown Court, the Johnson family described the unimaginable pain caused by Hanson's actions. Kathleen Johnson, Benn's mother, told the court: "Every day, from the moment I wake to the moment I go to sleep, I am living with a grief that never leaves me. I have four sons and now one of them is gone forever because of someone's stupidity."
Finn Johnson revealed through his sister Georgia Shaw that he had repeatedly pleaded with Hanson to slow down during the journey. "He said he had not seen him drive like this before," prosecutor Sarah Slater told the court. "It's like he was doing something on his own, he wasn't listening. He wasn't caring about anyone or anything."
Finn described hearing his brother's final words as Benn shouted at Hanson to stop the car moments before the fatal impact. "He said Benn was more than a brother - he was his best friend, and he had to watch him die," Judge Shaun Smith KC recounted during sentencing.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing Details
The court heard that Hanson had consumed alcohol and cannabis before getting behind the wheel, sharing a 16.5 percent Jamaican wine called Magnum with Finn Johnson. Despite this, Hanson refused to provide a blood sample for analysis following the crash, claiming he had no recollection of the incident.
Hanson, of Sinfin, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He had no previous convictions prior to this incident.
In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, Judge Smith disqualified Hanson from driving for 18 years. During sentencing, the judge remarked: "Cars are a dangerous weapon, perhaps one of the most dangerous weapons when driven in the way you did."
Broader Impact and Aftermath
The collision caused significant injuries to multiple parties. Sami Zeidan, the Range Rover driver, suffered three fractured ribs and required hospital treatment. Hanson himself sustained several fractures in the crash.
Defence counsel Tim Pole stated that his client "apologises through me for the trauma and distress he acknowledges - and he alone acknowledges - he has caused." Pole added: "He knows what he did is something he will have to carry with him for the rest of his life."
Georgia Shaw, speaking on behalf of her family, emphasised that this was no accident but a conscious choice with devastating consequences. "Benn was full of life and full of love and he has been taken from us because of someone else's selfish and reckless actions," she told the court. "This was not an accident. It was a choice and, as a result of that choice, my family is living with that heartbreak every single day."
The case serves as a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences that can result from irresponsible driving behaviour and the importance of road safety awareness among all motorists.
