A drunken driver who snapped a photo showing he was speeding at 141 mph before a deadly crash in England has been sentenced to 17 years in prison

Darryl Anderson was drunk behind the wheel of his Audi SUV, had his accelerator pressed to the floor and was barreling toward a car ahead of him when he snapped a photo of his speedometer. The picture showed a car in the foreground, a collision warning light on his dashboard and a speed of 141 mph (227 kph).

An instant later, he slammed into the car in the photo. The driver, Shalorna Warner, was not seriously injured but her 8-month-old son and her sister were killed instantly, authorities said. Evidence showed Anderson never braked.

Anderson, 38, was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in prison for the May 31 crash in northern England that killed little Zackary Blades and Karlene Warner. Anderson pleaded guilty last week in Durham Crown Court to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

  • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    627·
    4 months ago

    Because every time government tries to limit vehicles there is a very loud roar of whataboutism and mah freedom.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.worldEnglish
      389·
      4 months ago

      At a certain point we need to prioritize people’s safety over “vroom vroom”. 200+ km/h is nearly double highway speeds. Children dying from speeding crashes should be much more important than somebodys ego and desire to speed.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
        515·
        4 months ago

        If children dying from mass shootings isn’t enough to move these obstructionist-types, then nothing is.

        • jpreston2005@lemmy.worldEnglish
          292·
          4 months ago

          When Sandy Hook happened and we didn’t even get universal background checks, I saw conservatives plainly that day.

        • Ullallulloo@civilloquy.comEnglish
          740·
          4 months ago

          Guns have useful legal purposes and specific constitutional protections though. Cars don’t. The number of people going track racing in their SUVs has to be essentially zero.

      • Mac@mander.xyzEnglish
        9·
        4 months ago

        As a driving enthusiast even I agree with this.

        However, people will just work around any limiters that get set like we already do.

        Many cars and motorcycles already have speed limiters—often 130-150mph.

          • skulblaka@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            6·
            4 months ago

            As far as I know that’s already the case.

            But nobody is going to know about it except you and (optionally) whoever you hired to do it if not yourself, so you’re only getting fined/arrested for it after you’re caught going 180mph.

          • Mac@mander.xyzEnglish
            1·
            4 months ago

            yeah, be hard on crime! (sarcasm)

            I’m just meming—i don’t have a solution. other than maybe if people like me had a good outlet to enjoy what we love.

        • FireRetardant@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4 months ago

          There are some 110 km/h hwys near me. The average speed seems to be 130 km/hr and cops don’t seem to mind until you go faster than that. 20 over seems “acceptable” near me, even in school zones marked 40 km/hr.

        • Spraynard Kruger@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4 months ago

          There’s one around the White Mountains in NH that I have driven on that was 75 mph, but that is the absolute fastest I have ever seen. The same highway (I think) stayed 75 mph through the Green Mountains in VT too. Both areas are rural without a ton of drivers outside of peak tourism season, and about a 0% chance of hitting a pedestrian.

          Definitely a chance of hitting a moose and totally fucking up it’s legs, ending your own life in the process. Motherfuckers have been known to walk away from many car accidents without much more than a limp. They’re tall enough where they roll over most cars and even many pickup trucks when full grown.

          EDIT: Nevermind. It was I-93, which has a speed of 70 mph in the section that I drove on and I couldn’t find a 70 mph speed limit sign on that highway in VT, because it ends quickly after entering VT. Couldn’t be bothered to find where the VT highway was though.

          70 MPH on I-93 in NH