A man has been jailed for 10 years following a collision which killed a Cumbrian 18-year-old.
On July 12 2021 there was a collision on Penistone Road, Kirkburton, near Huddersfield. Oliver Pryde was was hit by a car and thrown into the path of another car in the carriageway.
The driver of the Vauxhall Corsa fled the scene but was arrested a short time later.
Oliver, a former student of Netherhall School in Maryport, died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
Adam Smith, 33, of Huddersfield was later charged with causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs, causing death whilst unlicensed and uninsured.
He pleaded not guilty to all offences but following a trial at Leeds Crown Court which lasted six days, he was found guilty of all offences.
On April 22, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and disqualified from driving for nine years.
Detective Constable Mark Turner, of West Yorkshire Police’s major collision enquiry team, said: “Despite having no driver’s licence or insurance and having consumed nearly twice the legal limit of drugs, Smith chose to get behind the wheel of a car with tragic consequences.
“His actions has left Oliver’s family and friends devastated and deprived Oliver of a promising future. I hope this highlights the dangers and consequences of drug driving – we welcome the sentence that has been handed down and hope it acts as a deterrent to others.”
Oliver, of Flimby, was the eldest of four children in his family and studying maths at Huddersfield University.
His heartbroken family have struggled to come to terms with what happened to him.
His mum Stacey, said: “Oliver wanted to become a maths teacher at his old secondary school. His words were that he wanted to teach others and inspire the next generation just like his teachers had inspired him.
“Since his death, his school have put in place an award in Oliver’s name, The Oliver Pryde award for mathematics – it’s a way that he can continue to inspire the next generation.
“No justice will ever be served in my eyes. I am left with a lifetime without Oliver and I’m left trying to rebuild the family that this person broke.”
