Sheffield driver killed in Boxing Day crash was high on cocaine and cannabis, court told

In the hours leading up to the crash that took place at around 9.30pm in Station Road, Killamarsh, Sheffield Coroners' Court heard how Jack Robinson had been driving around with his girlfriend, Kimberley Milne.

Collision investigator, PC Lee Simpson told the court that the vehicle being driven by Mr Robinson, a grey Renaut Clio, was travelling at a speed of approximately 63mph in a 30mph zone, when it came off the curb and collided with a lamppost.

It is believed Mr Robinson attempted to break to stop the collision from taking place, but he had already lost control of the vehicle.

The car ended up resting on its roof, at the side of the road.

PC Simpson told the court that pathology tests showed Mr Robinson, aged 20, was 'over the prescribed limit' for both cocaine and cannabis when the collision took place.

He told the court that research showed the consumption of such substances tended to affect a person's spacial awareness and their propensity for risk taking.

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Daniel Hobson, the first person to arrive on the scene, described in his police statement how he pulled over his car after seeing bits of glass, wood and wiring from the damaged lamppost.

Because the crashed car had not come to rest in the road itself, Mr Hobson says he was first alerted to the crash, after hearing a woman shout 'please, can someone help me?'.

He said: "As I got close I could see the remains of a small car..it was on its roof.

"I could see the body of a man on his back, the car was very dented, in my opinion."

The court was told how Mr Robinson, from Killamarsh, was found unconscious, a short distance away from the driver's side door of the car.

He was not wearing a seat belt and only held a provisional driving license, the court was told.

The emergency services were called to the scene, and both Mr Robinson and Ms Milne were taken to Northern General Hospital.

Despite the best efforts of medics, Mr Robinson died from the multiple injuries he suffered in the crash at around 2.40pm the following day (December 27).

Ms Milne was released from hospital a short time after being admitted for treatment of the minor injuries she suffered in the crash.

In her statement read out to the court, Ms Milne said that when she had previously gone driving with Mr Robinson she had told him off for driving too quickly, and had threatened to get out of the car if he did not slow down.

But on the night of the collision, she described his speed as being 'steady' for most of the evening.

Assistant Coroner Abigail Combes delivered a conclusion of road traffic collision, and recorded multiple injuries as the medical cause of death, with his consumption of cocaine and cannabis as a secondary factor.