Driver ran down and killed two people when he was SIXTEEN TIMES the drug drive limit
Jodan Hunt fled from the scene back to a wedding reception he had been attending just a mile away from where the tragedy unfolded
A DRIVER who was 16 times the drug drive limit when he crashed into another car, killing two people, has been jailed for six years.
Jodan Hunt fled from the horrific fatal scene, heading back to a wedding reception just a mile away from where the tragedy unfolded.
The 24-year-old abandoned his black Seat Leon after it fatally collided with a silver Volkswagen Polo, killing driver Richard Clements-Lewis and passenger Maria Smith.
The court heard that before the fatal crash, the builder had sped straight through a pedestrian crossing on the wrong side of the road, before then weaving between anti-terror barriers which had been put in place for a seafront airshow event.
Hunt then clipped a kerb and skidded into the path of the VW Polo at a junction, the Guildford Crown Court in Surrey heard.
The victim's car was then sent into traffic, hitting a blue BMW 330d and a grey Audi A3 at 9.34pm on Friday August 12.
Photographs have since been released of the victim's car with the vehicle horrifically crushed at the side and the back after it had been hit at the junctions of King Edward's Parade, South Cliff and Bolsover Road in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Hunt fled the scene with police later tracking down the father of two at a wedding reception at The Cavendish Hotel about two and a half hours later.
Tests taken after the crash found Hunt had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine – the major metabolite of cocaine – per litre of blood in his system.
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The high drug content in his blood meant he was 16 times over the legal limit with witnesses testifying that he had been driving up to double the 30mph speed limit.
Hunt plead guilty to the two counts of causing death by dangerous driving via video link in court today, and was jailed for six years for each count to run concurrently.
Once he is released, he is required to take an extended retest should he wish to reapply for his driving licence.
Sergeant Dan Pitcher, of the East Sussex Roads Policing Team spoke out after the sentencing, saying: "This was a truly tragic incident in which two innocent people have lost their lives, and our thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims at this difficult time.
"The defendant pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and accepts full responsibility for his actions.
"He expressed extreme remorse in court and he wished to extend his regrets to the family of the deceased.
"Fortunately, this has been a swift process which has led to an immediate custodial sentence for Hunt.
"It also sends a clear message to others about the dangers of drink and drug-driving, and the severe impact it can have on people."
He said Hunt, who was a father of two young children, had not been before the courts before the fatal crash.
Sgt Pitcher said: "He had been suffering from depression prior to the collision, however nothing can excuse his actions on that fatal evening, which were both dangerous and highly irresponsible.
"Once in custody Hunt was tested for substances, and recorded having 46mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system – the legal limit being 35mg.
"But most shockingly, he also tested positive for having 800mcg of benzoylecgonine – the major metabolite of cocaine – per litre of blood in his system.
"The legal limit is 50mcg, meaning he was an incredible 16 times the legal limit.
"Hunt's conviction serves as a stark reminder that we will not tolerate drink or drug-driving at any time of the year, and that anyone caught breaking the law will be dealt with robustly."
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