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Police release distressing video after drug driver crashes at 60mph into child cycling in bike lane

Harry Summersgill was jailed for three years after shocking crash in County Durham, and the boy's family gave police permission to share video to warn others about drug driving...

Police have released distressing footage of the build-up and aftermath of a crash in which a drug driver left a six-year-old child who was riding his bike on a dedicated off-road cycle lane with serious injuries after hitting him at 60mph in a 30mph zone.

The family of Noah Herring, now aged seven and who is not expected to suffer long-term effects from his injuries, gave the force permission to share the video as part of a national campaign to highlight the dangers of driving while under the influence of drug-driving.

Some of the footage, which does not include the crash itself, was shot on GoPro by Noah’s father James, who can be heard afterwards telling his son not to move. The pair had been riding to a park at the time. 

The driver, 24-year-old Harry Summersgill, was under the influence of a cocktail of cannabis, cocaine and ketamine at the time of the crash, which happened on Yarm Road, Stockton, on 24 February this year.

In the video, he can be heard telling a police officer that it was a “simple accident.”

Summersgill subsequently pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for three years and banned from driving for six and a half years.

Inspector Dave Williams of the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “Noah and James were out riding their bikes and having a pleasant morning when Harry Summersgill, knowingly under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, drove his car and struck Noah at high speed.

“Noah’s family know how lucky they were that day; the outcome could have been much worse and we’re all thankful that it wasn’t.

“There will be increased activity and an increased focus on drug driving throughout the two-week National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) campaign, although police will continue to tackle the issue all year round.

“To anyone who may get into their car with the intention of driving whilst under the influence; I would urge you to watch this footage and see the horrendous circumstances for yourself.

“No driver should ever take risks like these. It is unacceptable and we won’t tolerate anyone who takes drugs or drinks alcohol and gets behind the wheel of their vehicle.

“Our message is simple,” he added. “Don’t do it.”

PC Natalie Horner of the Cleveland Police Collision Investigation Unit contacted Kona Bicycles UK to ask if they could help provide a replacement bike for Noah – which they did free of charge, giving it to the youngster at the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit in June.

Scott Belshaw from Kona said: “After speaking with Natalie I was shocked to hear what had happened and it was clear that the only thing to do would be to get Noah a bike after everything he’s been through.”

PC Horner added: “Noah deserves something nice after the difficult time he had earlier this year. He was very concerned that his ‘pride and joy’ had been ruined after the collision and I thought it would be great if he could get a replacement.

“Kindly, Scott offered to make this bike for Noah free of charge and I hope he can continue to go out and enjoy cycling again very soon.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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41 comments

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
3 likes

Is there any reason the video has been pulled by the Police? Legal challenge?

Seems facebook have killed it on this site. Not sure if it is just me though.

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HoarseMann replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
2 likes

It's still up on FB - https://fb.watch/7q3Ckb_sJ9/

Maybe FB has just turned off the ability for other websites to embed the content. Wobbly walking at 0:45 and 'simple accident' at 3:05. Can't watch the rest again .

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

Back again for me. Might have been a facebook or page loading error. 

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bikeman01 | 2 years ago
9 likes

Did he really say "it was a simple accident" after ploughing off the road into a child.

What an absolute cunt. I hope he gets what he deserves in prison.

And why isn't he getting a life ban? 

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doodlydiddle | 2 years ago
3 likes

That was incredibly distressing to watch. 

I sincerely hope Noah recovers well and still wants to ride a bike. 

I hope the driver never gets behind the wheel again.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to doodlydiddle | 2 years ago
4 likes

I sincerely hope Noah recovers well and still wants to ride a bike.

Well he did seem happy with the new one  in the second video. However it will depend on the parents wants I expect for the next few years. The father must have been (uneccesarily) blaming himself probably more then the driver for deciding to cycle to the park rather then do the normal driving.

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Muddy Ford | 2 years ago
3 likes

The second video and story is great. Good on Kona and the police, and especially Noah who appears to have made an amazing recovery. Tough kid! I hope the driver dies in jail, painfully.

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bmxboyx01 | 2 years ago
1 like

Very sad. Hope Noah wants to ride again. Drug driving is becoming a far bigger problem than it ever has been. Is is a standard stop test on uk roads? Should be! I'd also be wondering how that chap can afford the Merc in the first place. Clearly the mentality of the 'Untouchable Generation'. 

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Hirsute replied to bmxboyx01 | 2 years ago
1 like

AlsoSomniloquism posted that the Northen Echo said it was the girl friend's car.

Don't most people rent their car nowadays ?

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OldRidgeback replied to bmxboyx01 | 2 years ago
5 likes

The police in the UK now have testing kits so they can check for the use of drugs at the roadside, along with testing for alcohol use. It's surprising how many people do smoke cannabis while driving her in London. I've been working at home since the pandemic started but when I was commuting to the office on my motorbike or by bicycle and train, I'd usually come across at least one person/day smoking cannabis at the wheel. One time I remember filtering through traffic on the South Circular and going past a really knackered old van. The two guys in the front were smoking a huge spliff so when I passed a cop car just a bit ahead, I stopped, knocked on the window and said if they wanted to make an easy bust they could pull over the van just a short distance behind them.

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Hirsute replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
6 likes

Grass !

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hawkinspeter replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
4 likes

I can't help but think that the cocaine and ketamine contributed a lot more to the insane driving than the cannabis

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bikeman01 replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
3 likes

The video of him leaving the supermarket shows he could barely stand up. 

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OldRidgeback replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
1 like

Probably, but cannabis does delay reaction times considerably. I read a report recently and I'll post a link if I can find it again. Basically it says that since the use of cannabis was legalised in some US states like Colorado and California (I forget the rest), there has been a notabl increase in the number of road crashes. And driving under the influence of cannabis has been that extra factor. The report also says that while people who are under the influence of cannabis (alone) typically drive slower, but are distracted and respond slowly.

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wtjs replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
1 like

while people who are under the influence of cannabis (alone) typically drive slower, but are distracted and respond slowly

Too right! A son of a famous Bob Marley band member was on the radio this morning and the effects of a lifetime of ganja were only too obvious- an age between words while the few remaining neurones send through single bits of information impossibly slowly, like an old pulse dialling telephone exchange. Once you have dissolved your brain away, it doesn't come back! Get the doped up zombies off the roads!

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brooksby replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
0 likes

There was a story in one of the tabloids today, a "terrible tragedy" where the three people in a car had all died in hospital following an "accident" . 

The three had spent the evening meeting friends at a local pub.

The "accident" involved driving at 85mph, a roundabout, losing control of the vehicle, and the driver testing positive for cannabis and twice the alcohol limit.

But terrible "accident", yeah...

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mike the bike replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
2 likes

OldRidgeback wrote:

.....

 It's surprising how many people do smoke cannabis while driving her in London.  ..... 

And if her indoors finds out about her in London I'm in big trouble.

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Judge dreadful | 2 years ago
2 likes

I'd have preferred to see 'distressing footage' of that pole that had gone through the car's windscreen impaling the driver to his seat.

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ChrisB200SX | 2 years ago
1 like

The video is nowhere near as distressing as I feel it should be.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to ChrisB200SX | 2 years ago
7 likes

So you like to see mangled kids then?

It does the job just listening to the desperation of (I'm assuming) a seriously injured father as well trying to do what he can in shock. If that doesn't hit you then that says more for your personality then it does on the effectiveness of the video. 

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EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
6 likes

Fucking awful. A parents worst nightmare. Hope Noah can recover from this physically and mentally, the dad too.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to EddyBerckx | 2 years ago
0 likes

He seemed to be happy enough in the secondary follow up video. 

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swldxer | 2 years ago
0 likes

"TEESSIDE", not "Teeside".

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Crazyhorse replied to swldxer | 2 years ago
7 likes

That was pretty harrowing footage. I'm surprised anyone would focus on the misspelling of Teesside after that... 

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quiff replied to Crazyhorse | 2 years ago
5 likes

I can only assume swldxer didn't watch the video first, as I couldn't focus on anything for a while after, my eyes were a bit blurry  

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to quiff | 2 years ago
13 likes

Nope it is Swixy. The article could mention a car being driven badly and crushing 20 babies and a 21st baby killed as the wing mirror fell off and hit it,  and he would state "It's a DOOR mirror!". 

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Hirsute replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
5 likes

Surprised your earlier error did not get the caps treatment.

There needs to be harsher punishments for people who drive when banned or get another ban. In fact once banned that should be it, if you commit another offence than results in a ban, then it should be a lifetime ban.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
4 likes

Surprised your earlier error did not get the caps treatment.

yes Maybe Teaseside  ( angel ) is the bigger offence. 

And totally agree with you on the second sentence. 

With me it would be:-

Instant Life ban if losing it due to death by ***** driving offences. 
Two Insta bans that doesn't result in death (drinks / drugs, very excessive speeding insta one)= life ban
*Two bans for points totting = Life ban

And the mandatory 10 year retests should include full medical including blood tests.

*I was thinking three stikes for this one but then when I was thinking on the points totting, it would usually mean 12 points twice which when you work it out is lots of "minor" offences so not learning any sort of lesson so can be the same as the drug/drinks one. 

 

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Velophaart_95 replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

hirsute wrote:

Surprised your earlier error did not get the caps treatment.

There needs to be harsher punishments for people who drive when banned or get another ban. In fact once banned that should be it, if you commit another offence than results in a ban, then it should be a lifetime ban.

These type of people will not be put off driving by a mere ban. Custodial sentencing is the only way to stop them driving.

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Hirsute replied to Velophaart_95 | 2 years ago
0 likes

Sure but you can't lock them up for life though.

As above, driving whilst banned -> instant in prison for the length of ban

Tech solutions to stop banned people from driving - facial recognition checks to licence ?

Better police presence and enforcement on the roads

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