Man jailed after head on smash with 90-year-old driver in Clacton
Billy Mooney, 20, attempted a dangerous overtake in a stolen BMW
A man has been jailed after his driving caused serious injuries to an elderly man.
Billy Mooney was behind the wheel of a stolen BMW 3 Series in Oxford Road, Clacton, when he dangerously overtook two cars at speed shortly after 4.15pm on Saturday 29 October 2022.
Whilst carrying out that incredibly dangerous manoeuvre, the BMW collided head-on with a silver Citroen C3, which was travelling correctly in the opposite direction.
As a result of the force of impact, the Citroen was propelled into the front garden of a nearby home and was significantly damaged.
The BMW also came to rest, and Mooney, 20, was seen getting out of the car and fleeing the area.
He left a 90-year-old man trapped in the Citroen, who subsequently spent several weeks in hospital where he was diagnosed with two fractured vertebrates in his neck, a fracture to his spinal column and a bleed on the brain.
Thankfully, he has been able to recover from his injuries and is not suffering any lasting impact.
Emergency services were called to the scene and an investigation was launched.
As part of that investigation, specialist officers identified the car was being driven displaying a false registration plate and the car had, in fact, been stolen from Ilford, a day previously.
The car was then forensically examined and Mooney’s DNA was found on the car’s airbag. Mooney was subsequently arrested and charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, taking without consent, driving without insurance, failing to report a collision and failing to stop after a collision.
Mooney, of Manor Court, Enfield, admitted the offences and was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court today, Thursday 2 November.
He was sentenced to three years and eight months in a young offenders’ institution.
'Incredibly dangerous'
PC Danny Wheeler, who investigated the incident from the outset, said:
“Mooney’s actions were incredibly dangerous and directly led to the significant injuries to a man who was aged 90 at the time.
“He faced a substantial period in hospital for treatment to a number of serious injuries.
“We were able to identify Mooney as a result of forensic examination of the car and he was subsequently arrested and charged.
“I am not exaggerating when I say this could quite easily have become an investigation into a road death. Mooney had no regard for other road users when he was racing through the residential streets on Clacton.
“Thankfully, today he has been given an appropriate sentence”