A drug driver who was under the influence of Xanax when he caused a cyclist serious injuries, seconds before causing a second collision with another motorist, has been jailed for 14 months for causing serious injury by careless driving.
The Standard was at Chester Crown Court to hear how Cameron Johnstone, from Carlisle, caused the collisions on the A540 Parkgate Road almost two years ago, leaving a female cyclist with a fracture to her leg and back, as well as other serious injuries.
“There are two versions of me – one before the incident and one after the incident – my life was turned upside down,” the victim explained. “I play the incident over and over in my head and it makes me feel sick. It was as if my life did not matter and it makes me feel so sad.”
Johnstone has previous convictions for drink-driving and drunk and disorderly, the drug driver’s defence claiming he was taking the tranquiliser Xanax to asisst his withdrawal from alcohol, something he is now instead addressing by attending Alcoholics Anonymous.
The 44-year-old’s legal representation said he had taken two before bed and had “no recollection until he was at the police station”, the driver causing two collisions as he drove to work the following morning.
“He had to go to work the next morning but he has no recollection of being in the car or driving the car,” lawyer Max Saffman told the court.
The first collision was with the cyclist, who Johnstone collided with while travelling in the same direction as them on the A540 near Two Mills. A second collision happened seconds later on the other side of the road, the driver smashing into another motorist travelling in the opposite direction.
Prosecuting, Myles Wilson explained to the court how the cyclist was in hospital for multiple days receiving treatment for fractures to her back and leg, as well as other serious injuries.
Judge Simon Berkson said it was his “duty” to consider immediate imprisonment “the only appropriate punishment” and sentenced Johnstone to 14 months, along with a three-year driving ban which will begin following his release.
12 thoughts on “Drug driver took tranquiliser Xanax before smashing into cyclist, breaking rider’s back and leg”
Is it cynical to wonder if he
Is it cynical to wonder if he would’ve got the same punishment if he had just hit a cyclist and not hit another car immediately afterwards?
Yes. Although given he has
Yes. Although given he has no memory of anything * presumably he’d just have driven on if he hadn’t hit the car – and wouldn’t have remembered to report a collision that he had no memory of…
So, possibly, no?
* I see the Scottish / Rupert Murdoch defense is spreading south – “I have no memory of that”. Presumably this chap was actually found to have drugs in his system – or admitted the drugs to try to diminish him having too much booze in his system? Otherwise he should just have said “I’ve no memory of that” without further comment and left it for the lawyers to excuse (“medical episode”) / prove.
Somebody must have slipped him a mickey … oh, wait, it was him. Of course, it was just two xanax, that he’d taken the night before, just for his nerves/rehab. He definitely wasn’t tearing it up all night, he’d have remembered that … or rather, he wouldn’t!
Anyway, a slightly positive outcome – if only there was a tiny hope that prison would help rehab.
I’ve just had the outcomes
I’ve just had the outcomes from 4 reports I put in last week. 3 of them were for driving at me on my side of the road. Two I had to brake and swerve to avoid being hit, the other was within inches of my handlebars. Advisory letters (this is an improvement over previous NFAs for similar).
The last on was a driver overtaking me on a blind bend forcing a learner driver to pull in and stop to avoid being hit. That one they are taking action on.
Presumably Johnstone will be
Presumably Johnstone will be in court at sometime in the future for driving under the influence of alcohol, which he is taking to cure his addiction to Xanax.
(I’ve never heard of Xanax – it must be one of the series of palindrome opioids).
I’d thought Xanax was a
I’d thought Xanax was a cleaning product…
brooksby wrote:
Sort of – it doesn’t make anything cleaner, but it makes you care less about the fact it needs cleaning.
Mr Blackbird wrote:
It’s Alprazolam, a benzodiazepene tranquilliser.
Xanax is a Cass C drug so its
Xanax is a Cass C drug so its not available on a prescription
Ladywriter wrote:
It’s not available on the NHS but it can legally be prescribed by private doctors.
Most Class “C” Drugs are, in
Most Class “C” Drugs are, in fact, prescription drugs…..possession of them without a prescription (NHS or Private) is an offence – the offence is Possession of a Class “C” Drug.
He has done horribly wrong no
He has done horribly wrong no doubt about that but I had hoped that this website is above revenge-style moves like posting villains pictures. Thats USA style and it doesn’t look good.
Dunnoeither wrote:
It’s a standard practice in all UK media as well, can’t say I’d miss it if they didn’t but equally I’m not going to shed any tears about bastards like him being exposed either.