Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has voiced her astonishment that young drivers can still buy illegal and unroadworthy vehicles without mandatory checks, following another heartbreaking fatality.
The PCC for County Durham and Darlington met with Karen and John Rowlands from Durham earlier this week to discuss the tragic death of their son, Andrew, who lost his life in a car crash in June 2020 at just 18 years old.
The vehicle, in which Andrew was a passenger, had been purchased by a friend 17-year-old Dylan Brunton for £100 the previous night and was both illegal and not roadworthy. The car crashed, resulting in Andrew’s fatal injuries.
In a chillingly similar case, 17-year-old Billy Conroy was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison in Newcastle last week for causing the death of his friend, 15-year-old Conner Loder, through dangerous driving. The court heard how Conroy, who was 16 at the time and had a history of dangerous driving, had illegally bought the car for £400.
Since losing their son, Andrew’s parents have joined the Forget Me Not Families United group, which is made up of bereaved relatives demanding urgent action to reduce the high number of young driver deaths in the UK. Last month, Blaydon and Consett MP Liz Twist raised a Parliamentary Question about Andrew’s death, calling for a governmental debate on the issue to prevent future tragedies.
Joy Allen, serving as the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ (APCC) Lead for Drink/Drug Driving, firmly supported the move. She expressed her shock that, despite the tragedy involving a young teenager, necessary lessons seem to have not been learned.
She commented: “No family should ever have to face the anguish and devastation faced by Andrew’s parents. Sadly, as we have seen in this recent case, missed opportunities to implement change have cost another young man’s life and this is extremely hard for anyone to bear.
“Any vehicle can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands, and I am frankly astonished that young or underage drivers can still get hold of one without proof of identity, relevant insurance or experience. These are simple administrative checks that surely should be statutory for every potential sale.
“Victims are front and centre to everything I stand for as Commissioner and I will do absolutely everything in my power to support Andrew’s parents, Karen and John, and other campaigns that prevent future deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
Representing Blaydon and Consett, MP Liz Twist earlier called for a debate in Parliament regarding such matters. Afterward, she stated: “The tragic events that lead to Andrew Rowlands losing his life were truly heartbreaking, for his family and loved ones, they are fighting to ensure that never happens again.
(Image: Handout)
“Four years on from this horrific collision and we still do not have the necessary regulations in place to avoid the sale of cars to illegal drivers, whether they are banned or underage. I want to thank the Rowlands family for taking the time to tell me of their story and share their concerns. I want to work with them, Durham Police and other stakeholders to ensure that we get the changes needed to ensure that this does not happen again.”
John and Karen Rowlands issued a poignant statement: “Our only son, Andrew John Rowlands, tragically had his life taken on 18th June 2020 at the hands of an underaged, inexperienced and unlicensed cowardly teenage driver. The car was ruled unroadworthy and a dangerous vehicle.
“As details of this horrific tragedy started to unfold, we as law abiding citizens, were horrified by the fact the driver was able to buy a car less than 24 hours before from social media website Facebook for £100 cash without the need to produce any ID or a driving licence.
“Since that day, we have been campaigning to raise awareness of this loophole, in the hope we could avoid any further tragedies of this nature. Sadly, following this and over the last four years, we have read far too many times now of underaged or disqualified drivers still managing get their hands on a vehicle so easily through a private sale.”
They stated with regret that Conner Lodger’s death might have been prevented if their efforts had succeeded.
“The time is well overdue, and the Government must introduce new statute sooner rather than later to prevent similar tragedies from happening and further families being destroyed like ours,” they stated.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/county-durham-pcc-meets-bereaved-30626434
