POLICE have spoken following the sentencing of a dangerous driver from Saltney who killed his best friend in a horrific crash on the A41 in Ellesmere Port.

Kelvin Davies, 22, of Irvings Crescent, was handed a six-year prison sentence on Monday, August 9 at Chester Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to causing the death of 18-year-old Kieran Lloyd, who was in the front passenger seat, and seriously injuring 40-year-old Edwin Vezza, who was driving the oncoming vehicle.

Davies had been seen by numerous witnesses that night on Thursday, December 19, 2019, driving at high speed on the 40mph A41 Chester Road in Great Sutton, in a white Toyota Cresta 2.5l Turbo.

Witnesses described seeing Davies revving his engine and dangerously overtaking other vehicles in the minutes before the collision.

They estimated that the car was travelling at between 60mph and 70mph – way above the 40mph limit – as he weaved between other vehicles.

As Davies drove down the single carriageway, he ignored the road markings.

He instead created his own lane, driving in the middle of the road.

As Davies approached the Hourd Way traffic lights, witnesses saw him pull out from a row of traffic and speed off through the junction.

At that point he lost control of the car and spun onto the opposite side of the road, where the vehicle collided head-on with a Volkswagen Caravelle. Just before the collision, Davies had overcorrected the car, meaning the Toyota hit the VW Caravelle side-on from the passenger side, briefly going airborne.

Kieran Lloyd died at the scene as a result of the impact of the collision.

Edwin Vezza, from Great Sutton, who was in the Caravelle, sustained five broken ribs and bleeding and bruising on the lungs.

The life-changing injuries that Davies sustained, which at one point were life-threatening, led to him spending months in hospital.

Following the sentencing, Police Constable Jim Roger, of Cheshire Constabulary, said: “There are no real winners in this case – an 18-year-old man is dead and many lives have been changed forever.

“There is no doubt that Kelvin Davies was responsible for the collision and that he will have to live with the fact that his friend is dead as a result of his driving that night.

“The footage recovered and the statements taken from witnesses clearly show that he was driving dangerously and had no regard for anyone else on the road.

“One witness even recalled saying ‘he won’t live long driving like that’ as they watched Davies speed past them. Little did they know what would happen next.

“Our investigators estimate that Davies was travelling at 70mph at the time of the collision, and as someone who has investigated collisions for more than 13 years I truly believe that it is a miracle no-one else died that night.

“My thoughts are with Kieran’s family at this difficult time, and the other victim in this case and his family.

“Their lives have been torn apart as a result of this incident and I hope that the sentencing will bring them some closure.”