Driver Showing Off New Car Strikes Friend at 60mph on Remote Road
In a terrifying incident captured on camera, a driver demonstrating his new car struck his friend at 60mph on a remote country road near Edmundbyers in County Durham. The collision occurred on the B6303, where the victim was filming the vehicle as it navigated a tight bend.
Horrifying Footage Shows Near-Fatal Collision
Bodycam footage released by Durham Police reveals the shocking moment when the Hyundai, driven by a man who had passed his test just eight months earlier, failed to negotiate the corner. The vehicle swerved onto the wrong side of the road, hit a bollard, and then ploughed into the cameraman standing on a grass verge, knocking him to the ground before crashing into a stone wall.
The panicking driver immediately escaped the wreckage and called emergency services, who arrived at the scene around 5.45pm on February 28. Miraculously, the victim sustained only minor cuts and bruises despite the high-speed impact.
Police Confront Driver Over Reckless Behavior
In the police bodycam video, an officer is seen telling the driver: “I’m not going to sugar coat it. You could have killed your mate.” The driver admitted during questioning that he had been showing off his new car, saying: “I got a new car and thought I’d take some pictures and that. Obviously I’ve come round the bend and I think I was in the speed limit, I’m saying I think because I don’t really know. I’ve taken the corner too fast.”
In a surreal twist, the driver later showed stunned officers the video of the crash while sipping a can of Monster energy drink, stating: “It was filming when it happened. I haven’t seen this yet. I’ve been too scared to look.”
Emergency Signal Led Police to Remote Location
A Durham Police spokesperson explained that an emergency signal from the car directed officers to the B6303 near Edmundbyers, where the individuals had been taking pictures of their vehicles driving around the tight corner. The spokesperson said: “Unfortunately for both, the driver in question failed to negotiate the bend, crossed into the opposing lane and hurtled directly towards his friend at high speed. Thanks to luck and quick reactions from the cameraman, what could easily have been a fatal collision was avoided by mere inches.”
The victim, while being treated in an ambulance, told officers: “We had our radios to make sure the road was clear. As he came round the corner, I think he came round a bit too quick.” The driver, who has not been named publicly, has been reported for dangerous driving following the incident.
