Speeding driver who left friend in burning car wreck jailed

Jailing him for 20 months, Deemster Graeme Cook described his actions as "despicable"

Report by: BBC Isle of Man

A speeding driver who crashed into a roundabout before running away and leaving his friend trapped in the burning car has been jailed.

Carl Moore, 36, was in the silver Subaru with two passengers when it hit Fort North Roundabout in Braddan on the night of 14 August 2021.

Douglas Courthouse heard the car had been travelling at 76mph (122km/h).

Jailing him for 20 months, Deemster Graeme Cook described his actions as "despicable".

The reasons for Moore's dangerous driving - in road with a 30mph limit - remain unknown, the deemster said.

The court heard Moore, of Jubilee Terrace in Douglas, had two friends in the car when the crash happened at about 22:15 BST.

The car became airborne when it went into the roundabout - also known as Spring Valley Roundabout - hitting a central tree before careering along and landing on the other side of the road.

Although Moore and the front seat passenger were able to get out, the backseat passenger was trapped in the car as it caught fire, and witnesses saw the driver flee the scene into a nearby field, the court heard.

Off-duty police officers who were in the area at the time went to the passenger's aid.

The court heard he suffered a dislocated kneecap, four broken ribs and a torn left bicep in the crash.

'Left to die'

Moore handed himself in at police headquarters two days later sporting cuts and bruises but denied being the driver of the car, claiming he had also been a backseat passenger.

Forensic tests found Moore's saliva on the driver's airbag, but he tried to claim that was because he had been thrown about in the car during the impact.

He continued to deny being responsible for the crash for 16 months before eventually pleading guilty to causing serious bodily harm by dangerous driving shortly before his trial was due to start in January.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the injured passenger said he was no longer able to work as a plasterer due to the damage to his arm.

Although he had previously considered Moore to be a good friend, that was no longer the case after he "left me to die and only thought of himself and how he could get away with it", he said.

Deemster Cook said was "one of the worst cases of dangerous driving I have ever come across".

It was "only good fortune" that that there was no traffic coming the other way when it happened, he said.

The deemster said he did not accept there was any remorse from Moore as he had "dragged it out, hoping you would get away with it".

"You only have yourself to blame, whatever happened on that night we still don't know," he added.

Moore was also disqualified from driving for two years and must take an extended test before regaining his licence.