Sheffield man jailed over 100mph crash which left passenger dead
Leon Roberts lost control of his car and smashed into a parked taxi in February 2023
A man who killed his passenger when he crashed into a taxi in an 100mph crash in Sheffield has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years.
WARNING: This article contains footage some may find distressing.
Leon Roberts had been drinking with friends at a pub in February 2023, when he decided to drive a group into the city centre.
He lost control of his vehicle on the Parkway, and collided with a parked taxi in a layby, before fleeing.
Passengers in the vehicle said they stayed behind, trying to rescue others from the wreckage, which was about to go up in flames.
Social media videos emerged of passengers filming his driving, with one telling a police officer in an interview they "thought they were going to die".
23-year-old Sharna Burgin, who was injured in the crash, died in hospital and Roberts was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
Roberts, of Ballifield Close, Sheffield appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on Friday 26 July and was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison.
He was also disqualified from driving for 14 years and three months.
Roads Policing Inspector Peter Heginbotham said: "This is an extremely sad investigation in which a young woman tragically died at the hands of someone else.
“I hope this sends out a strong message that the decisions you make as a road user can have devastating consequences.
“Sharna’s friends and family continue to grieve her loss and their lives will never be the same.
“Roberts’ life and that of his friends and family will also never be the same again, as he now starts his lengthy prison sentence."