THIS is the horror moment a motorist downs 11 pints on a pub crawl, before getting behind the wheel and fatally hitting a teenager.
Footage shows arriving at the crash site after the driver had done a runner, leaving the vehicle abandoned.
Danny Francis was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after previously pleading guiltyCredit: West Mercia Police
Danny Francis drove, under the influence of alcohol, to a total of eight pubs that nightCredit: West Mercia Police
A 17-year-old, Benjamin Worrall, was tragically killedCredit: West Mercia Police
CCTV recordings from multiple pubs earlier that day captures Francis drinking pint after pint.
The footage also shows him hastily driving out of a pub car park in his Sport after the heavy session.
Danny Francis has today been jailed for a total of seven years, after an alcohol-fuelled pub crawl which led to the death of 17-year-old Benjamin Worrall.
The 29-year-old from Welshpool in was sentenced at Crown today, November 28.
He plead guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The court heard Francis spent a night in 2023 drinking with friends in and around Shrewsbury.
He had previously told officers he had only been consuming soft drinks that evening.
On September 30, he began the evening at a pub in Marton, where he drank a pint of cider, before driving his Range Rover Sport to eight more pubs.
At times during the night, he had up to seven passengers on board his five-seater car.
Receipts showed he bought multiple rounds, including £40 worth of shots and a £21 round on drinks.
Officers believe he consumed 11 pints of cider and a shot of liquor, before getting back behind the wheel.
His final stop was a bar in Shrewsbury town centre, around 15 miles from where the night kicked off.
Francis then began driving himself and a friend home, after stopping briefly for food.
Shortly after midnight, while travelling along the A458 Welshpool Road near Rowton Castle, he lost control of the vehicle while attempting to negotiate a large pool of water.
The car veered onto the opposite carriageway and collided head-on with two ridden by Benjamin and his friend Nathan.
Francis’s vehicle left the road and came to rest in a hedge. He and his passenger then fled the scene.
Members of the public discovered the crash moments later and attempted first aid. Despite their efforts, Benjamin sadly died at the scene.
Nathan sustained life-changing injuries and was taken to hospital. He has since lost a leg.
As emergency services worked at the crash site, Francis phoned his girlfriend from a nearby field asking to be collected.
He was arrested at an address in Knockin at 6am, almost seven hours after the collision.
A forensic toxicologist later calculated Francis’s likely alcohol level at the time of the crash to be between 53 and 111 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Francis initially claimed he had only drunk one pint that night, but made no comment when reinterviewed after further evidence emerged.
Both Francis and his mate fled the scene of the crashCredit: West Mercia Police
Francis lied to police about how much he had to drink that nightCredit: West Mercia Police
He swerved onto the wrong side of the road and collided with the teenagersCredit: West Mercia Police
He has received a seven-year prison sentence for his offences, as well as an 11 year driving ban.
Detective Constable Richard Owen, from the force’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “The actions of Francis that night was nothing short of selfish; resulting in a teenager losing his life, and a man suffering life changing injuries.
“Not only was he driving under the influence of alcohol, but he was driving around passengers, knowing he should not have been behind the wheel.
“Despite hearing the cries of those he’d injured following the collision, Francis cowardly chose to flee from the scene than face any consequences.”
“I would like to commend Ben’s family and friends, as well as Nathan, for their patience as we investigated this, and I hope today’s sentence is able to bring them some form of closure to move forward with their lives.”
DC Owen continued: “I hope this sentence sends a strong message to anyone who thinks it is okay to drink and drive, because it is not. Your actions can have a devastating impact on the lives of many others.
“My advice is if you are out drinking, please plan how you’re getting home. Book a taxi or arrange a lift, it is never worth the risk driving under the influence of alcohol.”
Benjamin’s family said: “It wasn’t enough time with him. We should have had a lot more time with him with a lot more photos and videos and memories made.
“He just wanted to help people and make people smile. He was just our Ben.”
Francis lost control of his vehicle and swerved into the other side of the roadCredit: West Mercia Police
Footage from the pub shows Francis downing pints, after telling cops he was on soft drinksCredit: West Mercia Police
Two teenagers were hit in the collisionCredit: West Mercia Police
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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