Driver of stolen car left his friend dead on A45 and ran across fields to get away

David Joseph Darroch, 35, and Shane Tye, 31, were both involved in a catastrophic collision on the A45 north of Raunds.

Tragically, Tye’s pal Stephen Hare – who was in the passenger seat of a stolen car being driven by Tye – was killed during the incident.

Tye immediately ran off from the scene.

Both Darroch and Tye were at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (Monday, June 30) to be sentenced for their parts in the incident.

The court heard how Tye, of Herriotts Lane, Wellingborough, had been staying at his former partner’s home when he took her car without her permission at about 8am on February 10 last year. He had no licence or insurance.

He picked up his pal Stephen, known as Stevie, who lived in Raunds, and together they drove north along the A45 in the Ford Fiesta.

But Stevie, who was in the passenger seat, changed his mind about the journey and, instead of carrying on and turning around at the A14 roundabout just three quarters of a mile away, Tye spotted a layby on the opposite carriageway.

He stopped the car to attempt cross over the southbound carriageway and turn back on himself into the layby.

Darroch, who was behind Tye in a Toyota Avensis, hadn’t realised what had happened and failed to brake until 0.4 seconds before he rear-ended the Fiesta at about 53mph. It’s not known why he didn’t stop.

Data later suggested neither car had been speeding before the crash but witnesses said that Tye had been driving erratically, swerving over the centre line of the road.

Tye’s vehicle was shunted into the opposite carriageway and hit an oncoming VW Passat, which in turn pushed it back into the northbound carriageway where it came to rest.

Sadly, Stevie was killed after suffering head and chest injuries.

The court heard that a GP who was on his way to Parkrun stopped at the scene and tried to help those involved.

Prosecuting, Philip Plant, said: “Mr Tye was unconscious but he woke up and began to try and start the car.

"He put back on his shoes that had come off during the crash and began to walk away.

"The doctor attempted to stop him but he stepped through the hedgerow and appeared to be running away across fields.”

He was found 45 minutes later in Market Road, Thrapston and arrested. Diazepam. alcohol and cannabis were found at legal limits in his system, with cocaine at an illegal limit.

The court heard that the car being driven by Darroch, of Ironstone Lane, Northampton, was about 50 metres behind Tye’s vehicle and would have had time to stop had he braked at the appropriate time. In interview, Darroch said that he had not seen Tye indicating right.

Crash investigators said that although there was nothing to legally stop Tye turning into the layby across the oncoming carriageway, it was a decision that other road users may not have been expecting.

In a moving victim personal statement, Stevie’s mum and dad, Anita and Steve, said that they had lost the most precious thing in the world.

"Having a child is like having your heart walk outside of your body every day,” they said.

"There’s an intrinsic vulnerability in knowing you can’t protect them from everything even though you’d give your last breath to do so. "

They said that 250 people attended his memorial service, as well as others who watched via videolink from countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Israel and Australia.

He had recently started a new job at which he was doing well. On the inside of his wardrobe he had written his hopes and dreams for the coming year which included taking his motorbike test so he could go out on a Harley with his dad.

The statement added: “To each mother and father here today, when you go home hug your children tightly or call them to tell them how much you love them one more time.”

Family man Darroch, 35, has two children and three step-children. He was on his way to work in Peterborough at the time of the crash.

His advocate Mark Haslam said that Darroch had suffered a ‘momentary lapse in concentration.’

"He’s a man of impeccable character,” he said.

“He’s never had any penalty points and he’s been driving for 18 years.”

He said his client had struggled to get to work since his driving ban began when he pleaded guilty, and had also had issues getting his disabled child to his special school.

Mitigating for Tye, Andrew Howarth, said that his client had struggled with the death of his mum when he was 16 and had ended up misusing drugs and alcohol.

He said Tye is a full-time carer for a disabled friend. The court outlined previous drug abuse that had ended his previous relationship.

Tye’s former partner had left the car, that she had inherited from her grandad, parked up near to her home.

She had no idea he had stolen the car until the police arrived to tell her what had happened.

The court was told that Tye has 19 previous convictions including for child abduction, robbery, ABH, violent disorder, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance or licence just a month before the incident.

Tye was charged with, and admitted at a court appearance earlier this year, aggravated vehicle-taking. He also admitted failing to surrender at a previous court appearance in May. Although he was found to be over the limit for cocaine and didn’t have a driving licence or insurance, he was not prosecuted for those offences because police missed the six month time limit.

He was given 15 months in prison and banned from driving for 37 months.

Darroch pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and was given an 18 month community order including 200 hours of unpaid work.