20-year-old Ryan McGowan from Grays and his 16-year-old passenger have both been left with life-changing injuries following the accident.
“From CCTV, we could see that McGowan was driving in a reckless and completely unacceptable way leading up to the collision,” said Sergeant Peter Swan.
“His disregard for other road users and pedestrians around him, as well as for someone who was supposed to be his friend, was completely overruled by his idea of a good time. He has never passed a driving test and had no insurance or MOT for the bike.”
A jury heard McGowan had met his passenger in Montreal Road and headed in the direction of Chadwell St Mary on a stolen white Triumph Sprint, in August 2017.
He then ran a set of red lights and crashed into the side of a Transit van that had started a three-point-turn in St Chad’s Road.
Due to the force of the impact, McGowan and his passenger were thrown from the bike.
Both were airlifted to hospital to be treated for what have become life-changing injuries.
By studying the scene and analysing CCTV, police established he was travelling between 73mph and 90mph just before the collision. At the point of the accident he had slown down to between 41mph and 60mph.
“This incident was avoidable,” added Swan. “It was proven that if he had been travelling within the 30mph speed limit he could have stopped and avoided the van.
“This will be something that McGowan and his victim will remember forever, as they continue to live with the consequences of his actions.”
McGowan was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court today.
He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of cannabis above the specified limit and driving without a license, among other offences.
He has also been disqualified from driving for five-and-a-half years and will have to take an extended test if he reapplies.
Tags: Grays, Thurrock, Tilbury
