Drink driver bragged about 'five and drive' before crash which killed 20-year-old Yorkshire woman

Daniel Crawshaw was caught on CCTV showing other revellers his car keys while in a Yorkshire nightclub, while police body-worn cameras show him appearing heavily intoxicated at the scene of the crash. One witness said the 28-year-old approached them after the crash, but made no mention of the passengers he had left inside his car.

Keegan Edgall, 20, died in the smash while Thomas Boothroyd, 28, is still suffering from the after effects of the serious injuries he sustained in the crash.

Crawshaw, of Bourne Walk, Staincross, Barnsley, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He will also be disqualified from driving for 2 years on his release.

The crash happened on March 7, 2020 near Meltham in West Yorkshire. Police had responded to reports a car had crashed into a stone wall on the B6108 Huddersfield Road. When the officers arrived, Crawshaw was talking to a family member on his mobile telephone and was clearly heavily intoxicated. It is thought he’d had 10 alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel of the vehicle.

Detective Constable Clare Barran, from West Yorkshire Police’s Major Collision Enquiry Team, said: “This tragic incident was completely avoidable. Crawshaw chose to drink and drive on that night, well aware that he would have been over the limit. His arrogance and initial failure to accept his wrongdoing has extended the suffering and pain that Keegan’s family have had to endure.”

The sentencing comes as West Yorkshire Police has been highlighting the potential consequences of driving after drinking or taking drugs as part of the annual festive #WYPTheCost awareness and enforcement campaign.

Sergeant Mick Kilburn, also from the Major Collision Enquiry Team, added: “No sentence can ever reflect the tragic loss of life in this case. It serves as a timely reminder, certainly with the festive season upon us, that alcohol and driving simply do not mix. The message from West Yorkshire Police is clear. Do not drink and drive.”