A man who caused the death of a passenger while driving drunk and unlicensed has been sentenced to over nine years in prison.
Jack Nixon, 27, of Lancaster Road, Dover, was jailed at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving through alcohol, causing death by driving while unlicensed, and two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving.
Fatal Crash
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, October 9, 2022. Nixon had spent the night drinking in Canterbury before driving home, offering a lift to three passengers in his Volkswagen Polo. Despite holding only a provisional driving licence and having no valid insurance or MOT, he chose to get behind the wheel.
While leaving a car park, Nixon struck a payment machine and continued driving, stopping at a drive-through restaurant in Whitfield and a petrol station to buy more alcohol. Less than 10 minutes after leaving the forecourt, Nixon lost control of the car and crashed into a railway bridge on Cornwall Road in Deal.
The collision killed a 21-year-old man from Aylesham and left two other passengers injured, one seriously.
Investigation and Sentencing
Police who arrived at the scene arrested Nixon. A roadside breath test showed he had 58 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, well above the legal limit of 35 milligrams.
A drug test also revealed cannabis in his system, and a search of the vehicle uncovered bags of cannabis and ketamine.
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On Thursday, November 7, Nixon was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison. He was also disqualified from driving for seven years, a ban which will begin upon his release.
Police Statement
Detective Constable Kayleigh Archer, who investigated the case, said:
“It is staggering to consider that after drinking alcohol during a night out, Nixon got behind the wheel of the car and even stopped to buy more alcohol during his journey before the very worst scenario happened.
“His actions that night had far-reaching, tragic repercussions for all involved, as well as their families and friends. Two people were injured, one seriously, and the collision resulted in someone losing their life. While Nixon will now go to prison for what he did, my thoughts remain with those who are left behind to come to terms with their loss.”
