Drug-addict driver with no insurance jailed after killing biker and leaving passenger disabled in head-on smash

A drug addict with no driving licence or insurance has been jailed after he killed a biker in a head-on collision – before fleeing to take cocaine.

Daniel Pryce was driving in a Ford Galaxy people carrier with two young children on the A52 in Aunsby, Lincolnshire, when he overtook a car and smashed into biker Martin Elam and his partner, Trudy Edgington.

Pryce, 40, drove off from the scene of the crash, that took place on August Bank Holiday Monday last year, and made six phone calls before calling an ambulance.

Mr Elam died on his way to hospital and Ms Edington was left registered disabled after suffering multiple fractures.

Pryce has now been jailed for six years and eight months at Lincolnshire Crown Court after admitted causing the death of Martin Elam by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to Trudy Edgington by dangerous driving.

The court heard how Pryce had been driving unsupervised on a provisional licence at the time of the crash, and was on police bail over an earlier offence of driving while over the drug-drive limit.

Judge Andrew Easteal said it was ‘quite clear’ that the earlier arrest ‘had no impact on his behaviour or his conduct when he drove’.

Pryce had been travelling so closely behind the car in front before pulling out to overtake it that other drivers initially believed he was being towed by the vehicle, the court heard.

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As a result of the collision both Mr Elam and Ms Edgington were thrown from the motorcycle.

Passing motorists stopped to help and Mr Elam asked them about his partner before he was taken to hospital.

Judge Easteal said that the overtaking manoeuvre meant a collision was unavoidable and inevitable, adding: ‘After the collision the defendant got out of his vehicle and had the opportunity to see the carnage his driving had resulted in.

‘Very shortly afterwards he left the scene. His priority was to get to a place where he could take controlled drugs.’

Pryce, a drug addict for 20 years, had been driving to his mother’s home after texting her to say he had run out of drugs, prosecutor Robby Singh said.

Mr Singh added: ‘She suspected he had run out of money.

‘When he arrived at his mother’s house he went to his room… and he injected drugs.’

After his arrest Pryce told police he had injected himself with a mix of cocaine and the heroin substitute drug Subutex, claiming to have took the drugs to calm himself down.

Ms Edgington, who still relies on crutches to walk, told the court she has been left ‘completely devastated’ and ‘heartbroken’ by the loss of Mr Elam.

Describing the crash, she said in a victim impact statement: ‘It kept coming in our lane and then there was a massive collision. I could feel my head being thrown back, then nothing. The next thing I remember is waking up on my back. I had unbelievable pain in my legs.’

As well as his jail sentence, Pryce was also disqualified from driving for eight years and four months and was subsequently convicted of driving with an excessive amount of controlled drugs in his bloodstream in relation to the earlier offence.