A TEENAGER has been jailed after he span a car into a tree at 60mph, killing his “gentle giant” friend.
The 18-year-old who died in the crash was described by a judge as a “very special young man”.
SWNSColby Hammond has been jailed after crashing a car into a tree, killing his friend[/caption]
Ethan Entwistle, pictured with his mum and brother, was killed despite his friends’ desperate attempts to revive him
Ethan Entwistle had been drinking with his friends two days before his nineteenth birthday at The Dolphin Bar in Kent.
He was joined by friends Colby Hammond, Benjamin Brazil and Mason Anderson – with the group drinking at the pub until 1.30am on October 1, 2023.
After moving to the nearby Clique Bar and knocking back several Jagerbombs, they clambered into a Seat Ibiza and began to head home at 3am.
Records from the car’s black box indicated that they were travelling at 75mph in a 30mph zone, before they span into a tree.
After climbing out of the vehicle, Hammond reportedly said: “I think I’m going to prison now”.
Cops raced to the scene, arresting Hammond.
Ethan passed away at the scene, despite his friend Benjamin’s desperate attempts to revive him.
At a hearing in June this year, Hammond admitted to causing death by dangerous driving.
He was sentenced by a judge to seven years behind bars.
Judge Simon James said that Ethan had been a “very special young man – a beloved son, a supportive big brother and a friend to many.”
Keena Entwistle, Ethan’s mum, shared a heartbreaking victim impact statement with the court where she described her son as a “miracle baby”.
She added: “I can honestly say that Ethan would have preferred to have been killed rather than any other person in the car – as was his selfless nature.”
Prosecutor Sean Barker showed ring doorbell footage in court which captured Mr Brazil’s desperate effort to revive his friend.
He said: “They were not to know that Mr Entwistle was in fact, by then, beyond any help that they could offer him.
“Dr Olaf Biedrycki, a Home Office pathologist, confirmed, following a post-mortem examination, that the massive blunt-force injuries that Mr Entwistle suffered during the collision would have been unsurvivable.”
Speaking about the tragic case, DC Lee Berridge said: “This has been a tragic case for all involved.
“Our investigation shows that the cause of the collision was due to the irresponsible actions of the driver in consuming alcohol and having little to no regard for the safety of his passenger, furthermore failing to heed the warning of his passengers to slow down.
“The message is clear, never get behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking alcohol and if you are a passenger, don’t be afraid to refuse a lift.
“The decision by Colby Hammond to drink and drive that night had devastating consequences.
“A life was lost, and my thoughts remain with them and their loved ones who have been left grieving.”
Since the accident, Ethan’s mum has been campaigning for the introduction of a graduated license scheme.
She says: “We’re asking for six months, that’s all.
“Six months of our young people, after passing their tests, not being allowed to carry peer-aged passengers unless they have someone aged 25 in the car with them, or it’s an emergency, or they’ve got their own children.
“They’re not allowed to drive between the hours of 12am and 6am, because we know, we’ve got the data, the majority of fatal crashes happen between those hours.”
Police arrested the driver at the scene, though Ethan was sadly pronounced deadAlamy Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
