Man jailed for causing death by dangerous driving in Accrington

A driver has been jailed for causing the death of a man in Accrington.

Officers came across the aftermath of a grey BMW 318i colliding into and a tree at speed which happened on Royds Avenue, Accrington, Lancashire at around 9:48pm on 10th December 2022.

Despite the best efforts of members of the public and the emergency services, the passenger, 29 year old Thomas Culshaw from Accrington, died on arrival at hospital having suffered a serious head injury.

The driver, 27 year old Andrew Blackburn, was arrested the following day.

Prior to the fatal collision, Blackburn had been a passenger in the car, along with three others, and the driver. The car failed to stop at a red light, and was subsequently stopped by officers. Whilst the driver was detained, the other four people got back into the car and made off, with Blackburn driving.

Blackburn had a provisional driving licence, was not insured, and didn’t have consent from the owner to drive the vehicle. Conditions were wet and temperatures were freezing, with heavy snow on the ground. Blackburn drove the car up to 78mph in a 30mph zone, at some points driving on the wrong side of the carriageway.

Approximately three minutes later the car collided into a tree and Thomas was thrown from the vehicle. Thomas was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.

Crash data recovered from the vehicle shows that five seconds prior to the initial impact the car was travelling at 76mph in a built up residential area with a 20mph speed limit.

Within seconds of the collision, the driver, Blackburn, ran away from the scene of the collision and made no attempts to check if any of the passengers were injured.

Blackburn, now of no fixed address, appeared at Burnley Crown Court today and was sentenced after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and taking a vehicle without owner’s consent.

He was jailed for 7 years and 4 months and was disqualified from driving for 5 years. He will have to pass an extended retest.

Detective Sgt Joseph Ghigi, from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:

"Blackburn’s actions on 10^th December 2022 were truly appalling and resulted in Thomas Culshaw, a young man, sadly losing his life.

“Driving a car with a provisional driving licence, without insurance and consent, Andrew Blackburn drove at almost four times the speed limit in a built-up residential area, in freezing, snowy conditions.

“Whilst no sentence will ever reflect or make up for the loss of life, I welcome the fact that Blackburn has been given a custodial sentence and been made accountable for his behaviour that night.

“My hope is that this tragic case will act as a poignant reminder of the fatal consequences of dangerous driving and the impact it can have on all involved.”

Thomas’ Mother read out a statement:

“In the early hours of the morning the police came to my house and told me Tom had been killed. At this point our lives were shattered, there is no peace now for us only heartache and sadness.

“I will continue to love my sons equally as they love me. I will continue to love and learn from them. I'm not looking for closure, I am looking for Thomas to stay with me in a way that allows me to smile as well as mourn. It's a journey that I hope we as a family can continue.”