Snapchat video shows man drinking while driving just before crashing and killing friend
Harrowing footage has been released which captures the minutes leading up to a horrific crash that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old man.
The footage of driver Meirion Roberts and passenger Lewis Morgan was posted as a Snapchat video on the evening of Friday, December 4, 2020, as the pair were in Roberts’ Vauxhall Corsa travelling along a stretch of the A48 between Carmarthen and Cross Hands.
The clip shows the driver, Roberts, drinking lager behind the wheel of his car and driving at speeds of up to 100mph. A short time after this, the car left the dual carriageway and made its way towards the village of Blaenau.
Roberts then lost control of his car on Penygroes Road and crashed into a telegraph pole and a wall. The vehicle landed on its roof and Mr Morgan, from Carmarthen, was killed.
The footage has been released by the Crown Prosecution Service with the permission of the victim's family.
Roberts, 26, from Ammanford, was found guilty of death by dangerous driving this week following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.
The jury heard that he had drunk at least five pints of cider at a country pub near Llandeilo in the hours before the crash. He also drank more lager after leaving the pub, and sipped from a bottle of Coors - that he had stopped to buy from a shop - as he drove away from Carmarthen.
He admitted that he was over the limit at the time of the crash and that he was speeding, both on the A48 and through the village of Blaenau itself where the fatal collision occurred. Roberts and his defence barrister tried to convince the jury that the cause of the crash was a momentary lapse in concentration due to being distracted, rather than the result of excess alcohol and speeding.
The jury took just over an hour to return a unanimous guilty verdict.
Judge Christopher Vosper QC adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report and Roberts will be sentenced at a later date.
In the days following the crash, Mr Morgan's family paid tribute to a "thoughtful, considerate and helpful young man”.
In a statement they said: "Lewis is our loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend and he will be missed by us all. Words cannot express how devastated we are by his untimely death and the overwhelming feeling of heartache and grief that we now feel.
“Lewis was a thoughtful, considerate and helpful young man, who wore his heart on his sleeve. He truly lived life to the full and loved spending quality time with his family, friends and dogs.
“Lewis was always the life and soul of every party. We will forever cherish his infectious laughter, witty dance moves and his cheeky smile. Lewis lived for adventure. He relished spending time outdoors, camping and off-road biking. As a youngster, Lewis was a keen rugby player.
“We would like to thank everyone who has rushed to put their arms around us to support us at this difficult time. Lewis is well known in and around Carmarthen and will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives he has touched. We wish for Lewis to be remembered for his larger-than-life character and for being our very own firecracker.”