Driver, 20, jailed for horror crash which killed three teenage friends

A teenager whose friends were 'scared to get in a car' with him caused the deaths of three young men when he lost control on a bend after a trip to McDonald’s.

Joshua Chapman, now 20, was jailed at Teesside Crown Court for nine years after admitting responsibility for the collision which killed Aaron Bell, 18, Louis Banks, 17, and Thomas Shevels, 18, on the B6268 near Masham in the Yorkshire Dales in July 2022.

All four teenagers had been pupils at Bedale High School, with Aaron and Louis ‘particularly close’ after playing rugby for Wensleydale RUFC together for most of their lives. However, the court was told that although Chapman was part of the same extended social group as the boys, he was not a close friend, our sister title Yorkshire Post reports.

On the night of their deaths, Aaron, Louis and Tommy had been drinking in pubs in Masham with friends when Chapman suggested going to the McDonald’s at Leeming Bar. The crash happened on the way back – after the fast food restaurant’s CCTV had already recorded him driving recklessly through the car park – when he went through a red light at roadworks and then reached speeds of up to 75mph on a dark country lane, eventually leaving the road at a ‘complex corner’ and striking a tree. The three victims all died at the scene, while Chapman suffered a serious brain injury but survived.

Chapman, who had passed his test 10 months earlier, was driving an Alfa Romeo hatchback and though he admitted having ‘one or two pints’, it could not be conclusively established whether he was over the drink-drive limit.

Two young women who had been in Chapman’s vehicle a few weeks before the collision told police that they were ‘alarmed’ by his driving, as he had boasted of reaching 120mph while they were travelling through South Stainley on the way to Ripon while their heads were ‘banging together’ in the back seats. They vowed never to let him drive them anywhere again.

A male friend who heard the Alfa Romeo leave the pub car park when the group set off for McDonald’s described it as ‘accelerating hard’ but said that was ‘normal for Josh’ who was known to show off and ‘push it’.

The CCTV from McDonald’s showed him striking a plastic sign, driving the wrong way through the car park and crossing a junction without slowing down.

Witness Jacob Smith, who was travelling ahead of the Alfa Romeo as it returned to Masham, said Chapman drove too close to him while constantly beeping his horn, eventually pulling out and overtaking him while he waited at the temporary traffic lights, which were on red. The crash happened minutes later.

The final speedometer reading for the Alfa Romeo was 75mph in a 60mph zone, and prosecutors added that the ‘theoretical’ speed at which the corner could be safely negotiated was no higher than 68mph.

In his first police interview, Chapman claimed to have no memory of the collision and said he ‘wanted answers’ for the boys’ families. He described himself as a careful driver.

Victim impact statements were read out by all three of the teenagers’ parents. Aaron Bell’s stepfather and mother, Andrew and Nicola Percy, spoke of a talented sheep handler who worked with them on their farm at Jervaulx. He had just finished a BTEC course in sport at Bishop Burton College, and planned to go on to university. He loved rugby, cricket and football. Mrs Percy said her elder son ‘hated speed’ and drove the farm vehicles slowly, and it was heard in evidence that while in Chapman’s car he had sent a message to a friend that read ‘OMG save me’.

Mrs Percy said her grief had been compounded by seeing a TikTok video Chapman posted in September 2023, explaining how to make cars, including Alfa Romeos, go faster. She added that she would not forgive Chapman, whose actions had caused hurt for her younger son, who was just eight years old at the time, and suffering to her elderly parents in their final years.

Louis Banks’ mother Louise said her ‘kind’ middle child’s funeral was held on the day of his 18th birthday. It was planned that he would take over the family farm in Healey from his father Jeremy, and they had considered leaving after Louis’ death because ‘it was all for him’ before eventually carrying on the business with the help of friends. His own car had had a black box fitted and she regularly warned him to consider his passengers’ safety. He loved farming, shooting, beating and rugby.

Tommy’s mother Lucy Shevels said her son, who was born 30 weeks premature and overcame deafness, was a ‘lovely, happy boy’ who worked in the family’s sawmill business and loved motorcross racing and mountain bikes. The family added that they had struggled seeing Chapman ‘live a normal life’ since the crash.

Chapman’s defence counsel, Jazmine Lee, said that he felt strong remorse for his friends’ deaths and ‘colossal guilt’. He had been working as a labourer on a country estate.

Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Carroll said: “This is an absolute tragedy for all concerned. These were promising young men and the harm you caused could hardly have been greater. Your speed was grossly excessive and vastly beyond your skills as a driver.”

Chapman was also banned from driving for 10 years and must take an extended re-test to regain his licence.