Teenage driver who inhaled laughing gas at the wheel before killing three friends in 100mph crash jailed
Thomas Johnson was behind the wheel of a BMW 3 series when the car crashed into roadside furniture and a tree, killing three passengers, on the A415.
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A 19-year-old who caused the death of three teenagers by dangerous driving after inhaling nitrous oxide and travelling at speeds of more than 100mph, has been jailed.
Thomas Johnson was behind the wheel of a BMW 3 series when the car crashed into roadside furniture and a tree, killing three passengers, on the A415 in Marcham last year. On Wednesday he was jailed at Oxford Crown Court for nine years and four months.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Neil Moore showed the court several short video clips recovered from the phones of those who had been travelling in the car in which a balloon, typically used to inhale the gas, could be seen “in the mouth of the defendant”, he said.
Mr Moore said: “It’s quite clear on the evidence that the defendant had been taking nitrous oxide from the canister with the assistance of a balloon to inhale it for some considerable time before the collision.”
One canister of nitrous oxide was found in the driver’s footwell and a further eight were found in the boot of the car, the court heard.
Elliot Pullen, 17, Ethan Goddard, 18 and Daniel Hancock, 18, were killed in the crash on 20 June 2023.
The force of the collision “ripped the roof off” the car and all three victims suffered “unsurvivable injuries” and were pronounced dead at the scene, the court heard.
A forensic investigation found that, at the time of the crash, the car was travelling at up to 87mph along a stretch of road where the speed limit was 30mph, and no mechanical defects, road or weather conditions contributed to the accident, the prosecution said.
The court heard that data from a location sharing and safety app from Goddard’s phone showed that shortly before Johnson lost control of the vehicle, it was travelling at speeds of more than 100mph.
Mr Moore told the court that effects of the gas include “disorientation” and “general impairment”, and an expert who had provided evidence concluded that “taking the drug is not compatible with driving a car safely and the concurrent use while driving is very dangerous due to the rapid onset of the effects”.
Johnson, who sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash, says he doesn’t remember what happened, but accepted that he was the driver.
He suffered traumatic brain injuries, a collapsed lung, cracked ribs, permanent loss of sight in one eye and visible facial disfiguration, and had to be placed in an induced coma.
Judge Emma Nott said his facial injuries would be a “permanent reminder” that he killed his friends, and recognised that he now suffers from amnesia, “moderate severe” depression and anxiety.
The defendant, of Stainswick Lane, Shrivenham, near Swindon, spoke to confirm his identity and to enter his guilty plea on all three counts of causing death by dangerous driving in front of members of the victims’ families.
Addressing Johnson, the judge said his actions were “all for teenage thrills” and as a result “your three passengers will never see beyond their teenage years and you move out of yours significantly and permanently disabled”.
Elliot Pullen’s parents described their “permanent living nightmare” dealing with their loss, and said that they had been “sucked into a world of grief, sadness and pain”.
The parents of Ethan Goddard also paid tribute, saying he “was a fun, loving, kind, generous, caring young lad, always thinking of others, and getting the most out of life”, adding that he “was loved so very much and made his family so proud”.
Meanwhile, Daniel Hancock’s family said in a statement he “was truly loved and will always be missed. He was caring, generous and selfless.”
In a joint family statement, they said: “No amount of imprisonment will bring our sons back home and we take little comfort in the sentencing of someone else’s son.
“However, we do hope that this will serve as a deterrent to other drivers, especially young men.
“If just one person adjusts their attitude to driving, or one person thinks twice about being a passenger along for the ride, then there is hope that something good can come out of this tragedy.”
Senior investigating officer Detective Sergeant Tony Jenkins of the serious collision investigation unit said: “This was without a doubt one of the most catastrophic and tragic collisions I have ever investigated.
“The speeds at which Johnson was driving were staggering, particularly given the road he was driving on.
“Ethan, Elliot and Daniel stood no chance. They were simply enjoying a night out, and their lives were needlessly and tragically cut short by Johnson’s actions.
“Johnson alone was responsible for these tragic deaths. He will have to live with the consequences of his decisions that night for the rest of his life.”