Sickening moment drunk BMW driver leaves pub minutes before killing teenage friend in horrific crash

This is the sickening moment a drunk BMW driver sped away from a pub minutes before killing his teenage friend in a horrific crash.

William Hubbard, 19, died after being impaled by a fence post when Oliver Barber, 20, lost control of his car in Shifnal, Shropshire, on May 27 last year.

Hubbard, who had been drinking excessively that night, was found to have a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit for driving.

Footage from across the area shows Barber speeding through the quiet Shropshire town before the horrific crash.

In a shocking video captured by a doorbell camera, Barber can be seen speeding down a residential street, reaching 70 mph in a 30 mph zone.

A court heard Barber had gotten behind the wheel of his BMW 1 Series while spending the evening drinking with friends.

He offered to drive three people home, including William, but shortly after getting into the car he crashed into a fence on the A464.

William, who was a rear passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of paramedics.

Police body camera footage then captured the wreckage with a fence post protruding from the rear window as one officer says: “We’re looking at a possible fatality.”

A harrowing recording, also released by police, shows panicked friends shouting: “Ollie, stay in your car. Ollie, don’t move.”

Barber suffered serious facial injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he was found to have three times the legal drink drive limit.

He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, a charge to which he pleaded guilty last month.

Barber, from Shifnal, was sentenced to eight years in prison and banned from driving for 11 years at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Thursday.

Sentencing, Judge John Butterfield KC said: “You missed a bend probably due to a combination of speed and inattention. Further along that road the accident happened.

“The accident caused Will injuries that no one could have survived. The death was caused by your dangerous driving.”

The court was told Barber had been out drinking in Shifnal with two friends when they decided to go to a late night bar, which meant going home to change.

Prosecutor Suzzane Francis said they were heading to the friend’s house just after midnight when William stopped the car and asked to travel with them after an argument with his girlfriend.

She said the four people left Shifnal “singing”, with Barber driving “well over the speed limit”, leading one of the passengers to tell him to “calm down”.

The two surviving passengers said in statements that Barber missed a left turn toward his friend’s house and turned his head, distracting him from the road ahead.

Ms Francis said the BMW hit a bollard on the opposite carriageway before hitting another “head on” in the central reservation, causing the car to plough into a hedge and then a fence.

The court heard that the airbags deployed and Barber and two of his passengers got out, but it became “immediately apparent” to them that William had been killed.

An autopsy revealed that one of the fence posts dislodged by the BMW had penetrated the windshield and impaled him.

Barber was breathalysed and found to be over the drink-drive limit. A further blood sample was taken, showing he had 134mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood – the legal limit being 80mg.

Andrew Thompson, defending his client, said he had shown “genuine remorse”, admitted to drinking and speeding and would “never forgive myself for what happened”.

Speaking after the sentencing, William’s family said “their lives have been torn apart” and no punishment for the driver would make up for their loss.

His mother Emma said: “Will was the kindest, funniest, strong-willed and caring soul with a natural ability to understand everyone he met and see their point of view.

“His loss has had a very damaging effect on every member of our extended family, his girlfriend, his many friends and the entire community.

“Will should still be here, and I should not be making a victim impact statement, I want people to realise and appreciate that road crime is a serious crime and the devastating consequences will be endured forever by me and so many others.

“I will spend the rest of my days missing my son-in-law.”

Constable Helen O’Connor, from West Mercia Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Barber’s poor driving and drink driving led to this accident, which sadly resulted in the death of his friend, William.

“The message I want to get across is that this collision could have been avoided if Barber had not driven that night knowing he had drunk more than the legal limit.

“The collision that night not only had a devastating impact on William’s family and friends, but also on Barber, who will now spend eight years in custody.

“We welcome the sentence handed down to Barber today, and I hope it sends a clear message that driving under the influence of alcohol can have catastrophic consequences, and it will not be tolerated and offenders will be brought to justice.”