Amateur boxer, 22, was killed when his friend crashed a van in which he was driving ‘well over’ the 30 mph limit into a wall in a drink-driven collision, court hears
- Shane Thomas, 22, was killed after a van collided with two cars and crashed
- Driver, Jason Evans, 31, has denied causing his death by dangerous driving
A champion boxer was killed when his friend crashed a van into a wall while twice over the drink-driving limit, a court heard.
Shane Thomas, 22, was killed in a fatal collision when a van reportedly driven by Jason Evans collided with two parked cars and then crashed into a stone wall.
The former Welsh and Great Britain amateur champion is said to have been sitting in the center console of the van at the time of the 2019 crash.
He was heard to have been “partly ejected from the van, trapped halfway in and halfway into the vehicle” before dying at the scene.
Although Evans is now accused of driving ‘well above’ the 30 mph speed limit, he denies that dangerous driving caused his death.
Shane Thomas, 22, was killed after a van collided with two cars and crashed into a wall
The 31-year-old is instead claiming he was actually a passenger and that Mr Thomas was behind the wheel, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: ‘A Renault Kangoo van hit a stationary vehicle before rolling out of control and colliding with a stone wall.
“It’s the prosecution that drove the defendant and his friend Mr. Thomas was a passenger in that van.”
Expert witness Mike Brown analyzed the crash after being called by prosecutors.
Mr Cobbe continued: ‘His assessment of the incident is that when he looks at how the vehicle would have spun and turned and collided, he estimates that he can safely place the defendant behind the wheel of the van when the collision occurred .
“It is his assessment that he can safely place the defendant behind the wheel of the van and Shane Thomas sitting on the center console of the van.
“There’s a third man in the van named Robert Smith, and he was in the passenger seat.”
Mr Cobbe said blood taken from Evans after the crash showed alcohol levels to be more than double the legal drink-driving limit.
The former Welsh and Great Britain amateur champion is believed to have been sitting in the center console of the van at the time of the 2019 crash
Mr Thomas was heard to have been ‘partly ejected from the van’ and trapped
He added: ‘The defendant was driving well above the 30 mph speed limit when he lost control of the van.
“It collided with two stationary vehicles before spiraling out of control and crashing into a stone wall.
“Simply put, the defendant’s dangerous driving caused the death of Shane Thomas.”
Evans, from Old St Mellons, Cardiff, denies causing death by dangerous driving.
The trial, which is expected to take eight days, continues.
