A man who was nearly three times over the drink-drive limit and travelling at 141mph when he crashed into a car, killing a baby and his 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 between Chester-le-Street and Durham at about 3.15am on 31 May. Anderson, driving an Audi Q5, had been drinking on a flight from Newcastle airport after a shortened holiday. He was driving erratically and took a photo of his speedometer moments before the collision, showing 141mph. Police found an empty vodka bottle in the wreckage.
Eight-month-old Zackary Blades was thrown from his car seat into the opposite carriageway. His mother, Shalorna Warner, described frantically searching for him. Her sister, Karlene Warner, 30, was thrown from the backseat and killed instantly along with her nephew. Shalorna suffered minor injuries.
Anderson was breathalysed at the scene, recording 95mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – the legal limit is 35mg. He had been using WhatsApp while driving, and analysis showed he did not brake before impact. Judge Joanne Kidd told Anderson he had been playing “Russian roulette” with lives and a fatal crash was inevitable.
Anderson, of Thorpe Hesley, Rotherham, was also banned from driving for 21-and-a-half years after his release. In a statement, the family paid tribute to Zackary and Karlene, describing her as a “bright shining diamond”. Anderson told officers: “Sometimes mistakes happen. But I’m not a bad person.”
