Shocking CCTV of driver who killed his teenage passenger

Tyne Tees
Newcastle
CCTV
drink driving
Monday 24 October 2016 at 5:25pm

Shocking CCTV has been released of the moments before a driver crashed into a roundabout crashing into a roundabout killing his teenage passenger.

Tyrone Quinn - who's twenty - had been drinking in Newcastle before getting into the vehicle with his 17-year-old friend James Docherty.

Police have released this CCTV footage of Quinn speeding before the crash to highlight the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Quinn had been drinking in Newcastle on the eve of the Ladies Day races with a group of friends that included Docherty. In the early hours of the next morning (July 24) the group got into Quinn's a blue BMW 3 Series car and were caught on camera driving dangerously through the city centre.

They then made their way towards Gateshead but at the roundabout junction of the Redheugh Bridge and Askew Road Quinn lost control causing the BMW to overturn.Quinn fled after crashing the car. Docherty was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Quinn was also charged with causing death whilst disqualified from driving, causing death whilst uninsured, driving whilst unfit through alcohol, driving whilst unfit through drugs and two counts of driving while above the prescribed drug limit.

James Docherty's family said they couldn't understand why Quinn would assist the police investigate his supposed friend.

James' mother Rachel paid tribute to the teenager who had just left school to start a career as a bricklayer.

James was 17-years-old when he was taken from us. It is such a waste of a young man who had a positive future ahead of him. There is a sense of emptiness without his presence. I often see Ian (James' father) getting upset and he regularly asks the same question that only Tyrone Quinn can answer: ‘Why would you drive a car when you’re under the influence of drink and drugs?’ I understand Tyrone Quinn has not assisted the police during their investigation. This has added to our family’s grief, I cannot understand why Tyrone would not help the police investigate the death of his supposed friend. His refusal to give any account during police interviews has left us in the dark when all we want is to understand how James was taken from us. There is no sentence which could make up for my son being taken away. What I want is to have James back but that isn’t going to happen."

Senior investigating officer, Sergeant Steve Armstrong said:

"This is a devastating reminder of how dangerous it can be to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. People think that they may be invincible but the sad truth is that is not the case."

"The only positive that can come from this case is that it acts as a reminder to other motorists, young drivers in particular, that a vehicle can be a deadly weapon when it is not treated with respect."