Woman crashed into lamppost after losing control while "showing off" new car, injuring 2 friends

One passenger suffered a fractured spine and another was trapped in the BMW 1 series after Chloe Leech lost control of the vehicle she had bought that day. Newcastle Crown Court heard Leech, whose birthday was on the day of the smash in January 2023, and her best friend had been out for a meal to celebrate.

After the food they went for a drive and later picked up two male friends. It was when they were all driving from Blyth in Northumberland to Whitley Bay in North Tyneside along the A193 that Leech, who had been travelling at "excessive speed", tried to overtake, lost control and crashed into a lamp post.

The court heard the car rolled "several times" and landed in a field. The female passenger claims while she was trapped and injured in the vehicle Leech, her then best friend, "climbed over" her and left her, which she denies. One of the male passengers suffered a fractured spine and ended up losing his job because of his injuries.

Judge Robert Adams said the female passenger had complained about the "excessive speed" before the crash and told Leech: "There is no suggestion of anything wrong with the vehicle, you were clearly driving too fast and were inexperienced.

"You were described looking at the driver of the other vehicle rather than focusing on the road and you lost control."

Leech, 21, of Newington Drive, North Shields, North Tyneside, admitted a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving to the male passenger and a separate charge of careless driving, which she accepts left the female passenger injured.

She was sentenced to 18 weeks, suspended for 12 months, with rehabilitation requirements, 150 hours unpaid work and an 18 month road ban. The court heard she has no other convictions on her record, works as a payroll officer, has shown remorse and is sorry she lost her best friend.