Thomas Johnson, 19, admitted to inhaling the nitrous oxide balloons before exceeding speeds of more than 100mph on a road with a limit of 30mph – killing three teenagers
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Driver Thomas Johnson inhaled laughing gas before fatal car crash
A driver who inhaled laughing gas at the wheel has pleaded guilty to killing his three teenage passengers as he exceeded speeds of 100mph.
Thomas Johnson, 19, admitted to inhaling the nitrous oxide balloons before exceeding speeds of more than 100mph on a road with a limit of 30mph. Daniel Hancock, 18, Ethan Goddard, 18, and Elliot Pullen, 17, died in the crash in Marcham, Oxfordshire, in June last year.
Johnson, who sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash, pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday. Chilling footage filmed on a mobile phone and taken from inside the vehicle captured the boys laughing and passing canisters of nitrous oxide to the front as Johnson was seen with a balloon to his face.
With the exception of Johnson, no laws were being broken by passengers in the vehicle, as it was not illegal to possess NO2 at that time.
In the background of the clip, the car’s tyres are heard screeching as Johnson speeds around a corner. The vehicle was also caught overtaking another car at more than 100mph on CCTV. Thames Valley Police say the car’s electronic stability control had been switched off on purpose.
The force also released an ANPR photo of the driver and front passenger with balloons to their mouths. Johnson has said he doesn’t remember what happened during the time of the crash. In a police interview, he later said he was aware of the risks.
When asked if he had ever taken nitrous oxide, he replied: “No, not this year. I remember doing it once last year with a group of friends before I could even drive but I don’t have any recollection after that.” Asked if he remembered what the effect of it was, Johnson replied: “It made my head feel dizzy.”
Detective Sergeant Tony Jenkins, of Thames Valley Police’s serious collisions investigative unit, said the gas impairs a driver’s ability to make decisions. He told Sky News: “Any impairment while driving is inherently dangerous. It is reckless. In this case, the use of nitrous oxide took place over a number of hours and even up to 30 seconds before the crash consumption was taking place.”
Months after Johnson’s crash, the recreational use of nitrous oxide was banned by the government.