Teen driver killed girl, 17, in 113mph crash

A teenage driver has been sentenced to more than five years after his 17-year-old passenger died when he crashed at 113mph (182 km/h).

Demi-Leigh Davies, from Darwen, Lancashire, was a passenger in the Seat Ibiza that crashed on the M65 near Burnley at about 03:40 BST on 2 October 2024.

Driver Leon Callaghan, now 19, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Preston Crown Court and was detained for five years and three months.

Demi Leigh's mother Gemma said her daughter's "future was stolen from her, and our family has been left to live with that loss every single day".

Lancashire Police said Callaghan, of Harwood Street, Darwen, lost control of his car when he did a late manoeuvre to rejoin the M65 from an exit lane at Junction 9.

His car careered across three lanes before hitting the central reservation and then flipping several times.

Davies suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead in hospital.

She had just been offered her first job in a care home, a role her mum said she would be perfect for given her caring nature.

Two other passengers, a girl, 17, and a 19-year-old woman, also suffered serious injuries but have since recovered. Callaghan was also seriously injured.

In a victim impact statement, Davies' mother said: "Every day I wake up with the reality that my daughter is gone.

"Every day I am reminded that I will never hear her voice again, never hear her laugh again, never be able to hold her again or hear her call me mum.

"As a family, we will never see Demi become the woman she was meant to be. We will never see her progress in the career she had just begun.

"We will never see her achieve her dreams, fall in love, get married, or have children of her own."

She added: "We have been given a life sentence of grief, and we will carry that burden for the rest of our lives."

Callaghan has also been banned from driving for nine years when he is released.

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