Cocaine-fuelled Mercedes driver left biker with 'life-changing' injuries after horror crash

A driver who ploughed into a motorbike rider and left him with life-changing injuries has been jailed.

Craig Pryor, 46, was trying to overtake another vehicle in his grey Mercedes C350 when the crash happened at around 9.20pm on 26 May 2023, on Winwick Lane in Warrington.

The motorbike rider, a 42-year-old man from Woolston, suffered such serious injuries he still needs treatment more than 18 months after the crash. Following the case, a senior police officer described the impact on the biker as 'tremendous, both psychologically and physically'.

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Pryor was found to have by-products of cocaine and cannabis use in his system after the crash. He was arrested and charged with drug driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He initially pleaded not guilty but would later changed his plea to guilty just before a trial was due to begin.

Pryor, Robinson Road, Ellesmere Port, was sentenced to four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, September 17. He has also been disqualified from driving for six years, after which he must pass an extended driving test.

Following the sentencing, Cheshire Police Inspector Steve Griffiths said: “When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you’re in control of a powerful machine, easily capable of causing serious injury or even death. Pryor completely ignored this, not abiding by the rules of the road, or considering the safety of others, ultimately colliding with a vulnerable road user who had been travelling on the same stretch of road.

“The victim has suffered tremendously, both psychologically and physically, as a result of Pryor’s reckless choices. I welcome the sentence handed to Pryor, and I hope he truly considers how his actions have permanently changed the victim’s life.

“I also hope this case can serve as a reminder of the long-lasting impact of dangerous driving, deterring others from the same fate.”