Shocking moment banned driver dangles legs out of car window before killing OAP in high-speed horror crash

THIS is the shocking moment a banned driver dangles his legs out of a car window before killing a pensioner in a horror smash.

Footage filmed by Caleb Mansfield-Marr prior to the high speed crash shows him driving at excessive speed using cruise control.

The “brazen” 22-year-old later collided with another car in Bredbury, Greater Manchester, killing its passenger Jack Howe, 76.

Mansfield-Marr was yesterday sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Mr Howe’s wife, aged 74, was driving her Toyota car along Ashton Road, with him in the front passenger seat on August 5 last year.

They stopped at traffic lights before the junction with Lingard Lane.

Witnesses described Mansfield-Marr driving dangerously along the lane, including undertaking other vehicles and going too fast for the conditions.

As the car carrying Mr Howe began to leave the junction, Mansfield-Marr overtook several other vehicles while travelling at 64mph in a 30mph area.

He smashed into the car as it pulled out onto the road ahead of him, with members of the public quickly running to help the casualties.

Mr Howe received first aid as emergency crews raced to the scene.

The pensioner’s wife sustained serious and potentially life changing injuries and spent weeks in hospital.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Mr Howe died on September 25 because of his injuries.

Mansfield-Marr, who was 21 at the time, was also taken to hospital but discharged himself the same day as the crash.

At the time of the collision he had no valid insurance or driving licence, and was disqualified from getting behind the wheel.

He was arrested four days later with cops discovering a number of videos on his phone showing him driving at “astonishing speeds”.

Police Sergeant Louise Warhurst, from our Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said hers and her colleagues’ thoughts remained with Mr Howe’s family.

She also thanked the members of the public who assisted at the scene before the arrival of paramedics.

The sergeant continued: “Mansfield-Marr is a young man with a truly appalling driving history, and he bears full responsibility for this tragedy.

“During our investigation, we uncovered a number of videos that were taken on Mansfield-Marr’s phone showing him driving dangerously at astonishing speeds.

“In one of the videos we found, Mansfield-Marr was driving at speeds exceeding 80mph on a motorway with his feet crossed and resting out of the window while using cruise control.

“This is a dangerous man who believes the rules and laws that all other road users abide by daily do not apply to him.

“At the time of the collision, he was a disqualified driver, but even that did not deter him from driving dangerously and at speeds that were wholly inappropriate for the conditions.

“He acted so brazenly, not caring that he could be caught.

“I would like to remind those who think they can ignore the speed limits and drive dangerously to think twice.

“Your actions can devastate innocent members of the public in a split second, Jack’s family are continuing to mourn the loss of a much-loved family member and no one deserves to lose a loved one this way.

“Dangerous drivers will not be tolerated across Greater Manchester. We will deal with you robustly to keep people safe from illegal and irresponsible drivers in our communities.”

WIFE’S TRIBUTE

Paying tribute to Mr Howe, his wife said: “The morning of 25 September 2023 changed my life forever, I became a widow.

“My lovely kind and caring husband of fifty years had passed away.

“No more companionship, conversations, laughs or celebrations to share together.

“I am healing from my injuries, but nothing can heal my loss of losing Jack, my husband and my best friend.”

Mansfield-Marr, from Blackburn, Lancashire, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by disqualified driving, causing death by driving when uninsured, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by disqualified driving.

He had been disqualified from driving until October 2023 following multiple offences.

He had previously been found to be driving at 71mph in a 60mph zone in November 2021 and was ordered to attend a retraining course.

The following May he again exceeded the speed limit on a motorway and was convicted with three penalty points added to his licence.

Then that September, Mansfield-Marr was found to be driving without insurance, and days later collided with another vehicle before failing to stop to assist officers at the scene.