A driver high on cocaine left a cyclist fighting for his life after a crash in Warrington.
Craig Nightingale was jailed for three years and 10 months in prison after he was involved in a crash that left a cyclist with life-changing injuries. Nightingale hit the cyclist from behind while travelling around 40mph throwing the man into the air and leaving him fighting for his life in hospital.
Nightingale appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, May 20 where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, two counts of drug driving and possession of a knife in a public place. The court heard how the 43-year-old of Kingsdown Road, Abram, was involved in two crashes on May 21 2020.
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Nightingale, driving a blue/grey BMW 118, first drove into a wall at McColls Store on Lovely Lane, Warrington at 6.18am. He failed to stop and made off from the scene and just 15 minutes later hit a cyclist on Winwick Road.
Witnesses at the scene reported the cyclist was highly visible wearing a high-vis vest and a blue backpack. Nightingale, under the influence of cocaine and benzoylecgonine, failed to react and hit the cyclist from behind while driving at around 40mph.
The cyclist, a 45-year-old local man, was thrown into the air and taken to hospital with a number of injuries including internal bleeding, a broken leg, a broken ankle an a fractured neck. Nightingale was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug driving after failing a roadside test. Officers also discovered a knife in his car.
Nightingale was subsequently charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, two counts of drug driving, and possession of a knife in a public place. He was jailed for three years and 10 months and banned from driving for seven years and 11 months.
Following the sentencing Police Constable Gary Nicholls, who led the investigation, said: “This case demonstrates the life-long repercussions of driving under the influence of illegal drugs. On the morning of the collision Nightingale took the decision to drive, despite the fact that he was under the influence of cocaine.
“As a result of that decision, a totally innocent man sustained life-changing injuries and Nightingale is now behind bars. While the victim is slowly starting to recover from his physical injuries, this incident will impact him for the rest of his life.
“I hope that the conclusion of the case and the sentence handed to Nightingale will give him some closure and allow him to move forward with his life knowing justice has been served.”
