This is the horrifying moment a ‘death wish’ driver high on drink and drugs smashed into a taxi at 90mph killing two women and a six-year-old boy.
Joe-Lewis Tyler downed five pints and four shots as well as taking cocaine and cannabis in a Worcester pub before getting behind the wheel of a BMW 3 Series.
The 34-year-old, who was uninsured, drove erratically and at high speeds before ploughing into a taxi on Spetchley Road less than 10 minutes away.
Shocking CCTV shows the moment the grey BMW ploughed into the white Ford Mondeo with such force it span 180 degrees and ended up on a grass verge.
Six-year-old Leo Painter had just been picked up from Abigail’s Place School when Tyler lost control and careered into the car at 3pm on February 22.
Footage shows the two cars, spinning down the road, both smoking, with the front of the BMW appearing to be completely crumpled in.
Taxi driver Courtney Hemming, 26, and mother-of-three Claire Adkins, 39 – who was escorting Leo to his foster home – died at the scene, after Ms Hemming had ‘no time to react’ to the saloon.
Leo was rushed to hospital but died of multiple injuries the next day.
Tyler, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene and tests revealed he had up to 215 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood – the legal limit being 80ml. An average reading showed he had 159ml – still almost twice the legal limit.
Blood tests also showed high levels of cocaine and cannabis in his system.
Tyler, who spent three weeks in hospital after suffering a broken shin and having spinal surgery, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing death by dangerous driving.
On Monday, he was jailed for 18 years at Worcester Crown Court but will be eligible for release after serving 12 years.
Friends and relatives of the three victims slammed the sentence as ‘pathetic’.
Ms Hemming’s partner Luke Bridger said: ‘The sentence is no deterrent to anyone. It’s a pathetic sentence. The police did a fantastic job getting the conviction but the courts let the public down.’
A friend of Leo’s devastated mother Gemma said: ‘What an absolute joke. Just 18 years but probably only 12 which is four years for each life he took.
‘It should have been life. The poor little boy had his life cruelly taken away by this lowlife.’
Another friend added: ‘The judge should be ashamed of himself handing him that sentence, it should have been 18 years for each victim not four.’
Judge James Burbidge KC said Tyler had been ‘racing himself’, adding: ‘It’s difficult to think of a worse piece of prolonged driving.
‘In your prepared statement to police, you said you believed you were driving normally, but the collision report estimates you were driving about 90mph in a 50mph limit and the car was stuck in sixth gear.’
Tyler also admitted three counts of causing death whilst driving without insurance and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The court heard Tyler had been boozing with his friend Miles Smith-Green in the West Midlands Tavern, winning £100 on the fruit machines.
The pair drank five pints of lager and four shots of Sambuca and Jaegerbombs before being told to leave the pub for rowdy behaviour.
They then got into the BMW and, without wearing seatbelts, drove at high speed towards Badsey, Worcestershire.
One driver said he was travelling so fast she was ‘fearful for her safety’ while another said Tyler almost hit her car at 100mph in a ‘near death experience’.
Another said Tyler was ‘driving like an idiot’ and had a ‘death wish’.
The court heard his passenger Mr Smith-Green also suffered serious injuries including a damaged spleen and dislocated hip.
Leo’s heartbroken mother Gemma, 28, paid tribute to her ‘wonderful’ son.
She said: ‘I’m glad this is over after a long five months he’s got justice, but it will never be enough it will never bring that beautiful little boy of mine back.
‘I hope he [Tyler] can live with the fact he killed three innocent people.’
Gemma, who had been looking forward to Leo coming to live with her again when he died, added: ‘He always had a smile on his face and was a bundle of fun. I’m heartbroken that I won’t see him again.
‘He loved PAW Patrol and I gave him a pair of pyjamas with his favourite characters on. He said he loved wearing “Mummy’s pyjamas”.’
At the time of his death, Leo had been living with foster carers in Kidderminster, but was due to be reunited with his mother, Gemma Painter, the following month.
She had been at home when a social worker called to say Leo had been seriously injured.
Ms Painter was told to get to the hospital as soon as possible, but it was already too late by the time she got there.
Leo’s father, Jason, expressed his ‘anger and disgust’ at Tyler’s actions adding the loss of his son had left ‘a massive void’ in his life.
Chief Inspector Andy Wortley, of West Mercia Police, said: ‘Tyler’s selfish and reckless actions have left the family and loved ones of Leo, Courtney and Claire forever heartbroken and a whole community shaken.
‘Despite pleading guilty Tyler has not shown any remorse or taken any responsibility for his actions.’