Hospital worker jailed for killing friend in crash after drinking at wedding reception
A hospital worker who killed his friend in a high-speed car crash after drinking at a wedding reception has been jailed.
Timothy Salt, aged 24, was said to have been at least twice the drink drive limit when he lost control of his car on a bend last March.
His front seat passenger – 22 year old Joshua Jones of Quarry Bank – suffered 'horrendous' injuries when the car struck a barrier and flew 30ft through the air before hitting an embankment.
Mr Jones, who was wearing a seat belt, died later in hospital. The defendant was treated for minor injuries.
Salt was jailed for 44 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court after admitting causing death by careless driving while over the drink drive limit.
Salt, of Stanhoe Close, Brierley Hill, who works at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, was also disqualified for three years. Judge Peter Barrie said that broadly speaking Salt was driving when twice the legal limit, at high speed and had lost control.
"There was no attempt to brake and it was not far short of dangerous driving," he said.
Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said the incident happen on Sutton Way, Sutton Hill, Shropshire, less than a mile from the Telford Golf and Spa Hotel where the two men had been attending a wedding reception on March 15, 2014.
He said that Salt had been drinking lager and told guests that he had drunk half a bottle of vodka.
Salt and Mr Jones knew each other from school. At about 9pm the defendant took Mr Jones out in his new Vauxhall Astra.
Mr Searle said witnesses who saw the car in Sutton Way estimated that it was travelling at up to 100mph.
Three hours after the accident tests showed Salt had 67 milligrams of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit is 35.
Mr Searle said a blood test showed that he was also over the limit and calculating back to the time of the crash, experts said there would have been between 140 and 225 millilitres of alcohol his blood. The legal limit is 80.
He said Salt realised he had caused horrific grief for Mr Jones' relatives and while his life had changed forever, it was entirely his own fault.
Mr Jones left behind his parents, Deborah and Stuart, along with his sister Nicola. The former Thorns Community College student worked as a mechanic with his father.
His mother Deborah said: "Joshua was the most loving son any parent could wish for. The sentence given to Tim was in our opinion far too light for the careless action which took our boy away.
Not enough was said about us living without our boy for the rest of our lives. Our family feels broken."
