Family of man killed by a drug-fuelled driver say “whole world turned upside down”

The family of a man killed by a drug-fuelled dangerous driver say their “whole world turned upside down”.

DRIVER Matthew Thomas, jailed for eight years this week, was high on drugs and was speeding on a country road when he dangerously overtook a car on a bend and lost control, hitting a tree.

His friend, 28-year-old James Jennings, who was a back seat passenger in the car, suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The family paid tribute to James, of Owston Ferry in north Lincolnshire, saying: “From the minute we received this terrible news our whole world has been turned upside down.

“No words can describe how devastated we felt upon being told James had died.

“We feel this pain every day and whilst we are relieved the sentencing has now taken place, nothing will bring James back or lessen our pain at losing him.”

The front seat passenger, a 23-year-old man, also sustained serious injuries including a fractured back and hand.

Drug tests found Thomas, 21, of Park Close in Westwoodside, was six times over the legal limit for benzoylecgonine (a breakdown product of cocaine) at the time of the crash.

He pleaded guilty on October 19, 2020, to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, supplying cocaine and supplying MDMA.

He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, November 25, and was sentenced to eight years in jail.

The crash happened in Stockwith Road in Walkeringham, on the Nottinghamshire border with Lincolnshire, on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

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