Drink and drug driver jailed for 8 and a half years after killing teenage girl in 'catastrophic crash' on A27 in Hampshire

The collision happened on the A27 Kanes Hill last July killing 18-year-old Mia Wort, from Southampton, who died as a result of Craig Aaron Procter’s speeding, impairment and dangerous driving.

Procter, 38, of The Acorns in Bursledon, had spent several hours drinking alcohol before stealing his mother's car and causing a ‘catastrophic crash’ just after 1am on July 17 2021. Today (June 22) , he appeared at Southampton Crown Court and he was sentenced following a guilty plea.

The court heard how Procter met two of his friends at the Red Lion Wetherspoon pub in Bitterne Precinct at approximately 4.20pm on July 16 2021 and he did not leave the pub until 6.42pm.

CCTV then captured him at the Royal British Legion Club in Windover Close at 7.32pm and he was seen consuming lager and spirits and, based on the GPS location history of his phone, he stayed at the club for almost three hours.

He got back to his home just after 11pm and he then messaged a female friend until after 1am and they arranged to meet.

Procter stole his stole his mother’s black Audi A3 and he drove along Hamble Lane, before turning off Bursledon Roundabout onto the A27 Kanes Hill. The court found that he had made two phone calls, one which ended moments before the collision and the second one took place immediately after the collision.

Samuel Hotston, 21, from Hamble, was driving a blue Ford Focus in the opposite direction to Procter on the A27 and could not avoid the Audi as it veered into his path and caused a head-on collision.

SEE ALSO: Leigh Park murder: Flowers laid in Chalton Crescent area to pay tribute to man who was murdered

A forensic collision investigator established that Procter was driving at speeds of between 64mph and 72mph in a 40mph limit at the point of the collision. Mia Wort was in the passenger seat of the Ford Focus and suffered non-survivable injuries. She was taken to Southampton General Hospital where she died.

DC Mark Furse, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: ‘A family has been devastated because of one man's complete disregard for the laws of the road.‘Procter should not have been driving full stop, let alone while drunk and high on drugs in a stolen car.‘Drivers like Procter deserve to be behind bars.’Procter failed a roadside breath test at the scene, a blood specimen was obtained from him in hospital and subsequently analysed. It contained 131mg of alcohol (legal limit is 80mg), 6µg of cocaine (legal limit is 10µg) and 314µg of BZE, which is a metabolite of cocaine (legal limit is 50µg).Procter was also disqualified from driving at the time due to convictions for drink driving and dangerous driving when he crashed into a tree on Bursledon Road after failing to stop for police in 2020. He was convicted of these offences at Southampton Magistrates Court on 11 March 2021 and was given 26 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He was also disqualified from driving until 10 September 2022.

Today he was handed an eight and a half year prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking and has been disqualified from driving for nine years and three months