Drug driver jailed for killing moped rider after running red light

A drug driver has been jailed for causing the death of a teenager in South Gloucestershire. Harry Charlton sped through a red light at the A4174 Wraxall Road roundabout in April 2022, causing the death of 16-year-old Daniel Davies.

Charlton, from Kingswood, previously pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving while over the prescribed drug limit. The court heard that Charlton was travelling over the speed limit when he crashed his Ford Fiesta with Daniel’s moped. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Daniel was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Charlton was arrested and a test showed he was over the limit for cannabis. He was today (October 21) sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to five years in prison, disqualified from driving for two years from the date of his release and ordered to carry out an extended re-test.

Sentencing, Judge Martin Picton said: “Daniel Davies was 16 when he died, tragically and unnecessarily. He had his whole life in front of him. You, Harry Charlton drove through a red light with cannabis above the limit for driving.

“Your level of concentration was affected by the cannabis as was your ability to safely control your vehicle. You should have stopped at the red light.”

Daniel’s mum, Sam Davies, has paid tribute to her son following Charlton's jailing: “I will never understand why Daniel was taken from us so soon and there will never be a sentence long enough.

“He was one of the ‘good ones’ in life. He was clever, funny and had a good heart. He had his whole future ahead of him. The pain of losing Daniel is a pain like no other, a sadness sadder than any sad.

“Myself, the family, friends and his friends will miss him forever but we will all live for him and never forget him. Daniel we are, in your words for your dad, ‘living for you’ and we always will. I love you Dan x.”

Investigating officer Dai Nicholas said: “Daniel’s family have shown extraordinary courage over an unimaginably difficult two-and-a-half-years and I’d like to pay tribute to them for that. This is yet another example of someone’s life being tragically cut short due to a driver not being in a fit state to be on the roads.

“Drugs impair your ability to drive safely and risk causing yourself or other motorists coming to serious harm. Charlton was solely responsible for Daniel’s death and will face the consequences of his decisions that night for the rest of his life.”