Driver jailed after 120mph crash leaves two passengers seriously injured
Modified car hit over 120mph before losing control and crashing into trees
A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after a high-speed crash left two passengers with serious injuries.
Jack Schofield was handed a two-year custodial sentence at Northampton Crown Court on April 9 after admitting two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
In addition to the jail term, he has been banned from driving for three years and must pass an extended driving test before being allowed back on the road.
The court heard that Schofield had arranged to meet one of his passengers for the first time after speaking online. The pair met at an illegal car cruising event held at Moulton Park Industrial Estate in Northampton on April 19 last year.
At around 10:25pm, Schofield took the woman and her friend for a ride in his modified black Audi S3, driving along a makeshift circuit set up between two roundabouts on Red House Road.
During his final lap, the vehicle reached speeds exceeding 120mph, more than three times the 40mph limit, before Schofield lost control while navigating a bend.
The car struck the kerb and was launched into nearby woodland, where it crashed into trees and sustained damage before catching fire.
Despite the severity of the collision, Schofield escaped with relatively minor injuries. However, both passengers suffered serious harm and were taken to hospital for treatment.
He was arrested at the scene, and following an investigation by specialist police units, was later charged and convicted.
Following sentencing, lead investigator Detective Constable Lee Norton of the Force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:
“Unauthorised events on public roads aren’t just illegal, but as this case highlights, this kind of irresponsible behaviour always puts lives at risk.
“Jack Schofield was not only fortunate to have walked away from this horrific crash relatively unscathed, but he was incredibly lucky that no-one was killed because of his stupidity that night.
“Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for his two passengers who will have to live with both the physical and psychological trauma of this incident for the rest of their lives. However, I would like to thank them both for their support with this investigation.
“I would also like to thank my colleagues PC Jack Mitchinson in the Forensic Collision Unit and speed expert Jon Webb for their outstanding contribution to this investigation which proved the egregiously fast speed Schofield was driving that night.
“Finally, with the warmer weather and lighter nights, it is a good opportunity to remind those who attend such events that since this incident West Northamptonshire Council introduced a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) last June across the local authority.
“The PSPO prohibits driving in convoy, racing, excessive revving and gathering spectators, and we hope it will not only help improve road safety but also discourage people from attending any form of illegal car meet or car cruising activity in our county.”