PETTS WOOD: Fatal Mini crash driver had ecstasy in his body (From News Shopper)

PETTS WOOD: Fatal Mini crash driver had ecstasy in his body

1:52pm Wednesday 9th September 2009 in News By Robert Fisk

TRACES of ecstasy were found in the body of a driver who was killed when his car swerved and hit a tree in Petts Wood, a court heard today.

One of his front-seat passengers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of grabbing the steering wheel of Lee Waite’s Mini Cooper just before the collision.

Mr Waite died at the scene in Southborough Lane after the vehicle crashed into a tree and hit a wall.

Jurors at the Old Bailey this morning heard the 21-year-old had been driving at around 60mph.

He had overtaken a red Renault Espace driven by off-duty ambulance technician Claire Carey in the moments leading up to the crash in the early hours of February 10, 2008.

This overtaking and speeding are possibly linked to the use of ecstasy, the court heard.

Prosecutor Sarah Whitehouse read from a statement by toxicologist Andrew Clatworthy which revealed the 21-year-old had traces of MDMA in his urine, blood and stomach when he died.

When the tests were done Mr Waite, of Narrow Way, Bromley Common, also had a blood alcohol level of 90mg per 100ml of blood which is 10mg above the legal limit.

According to Mr Clatworthy’s statement, the alcohol level in his urine revealed he had a blood alcohol level of 123mg per 100ml at some point within the hours before he died.

In the statement Mr Clatworthy said: “The measured use is a high one and in my opinion denotes a recent use of the drug [ecstasy], possibly the previous evening.

“Use of MDMA may increase risk taking behaviour including speeding and overtaking.

“These effects are incompatible with driving a motor vehicle.”

Senior crash examiner PC Paul Summerton told the court there were no mechanical faults with the car which would have caused it to crash.

He also said the grip on the road was sufficient and the road surface was not icy.

When asked what made the car swerve he said: “There was some form of steering input on the vehicle.”

The teenage defendant was interviewed about the incident at Bromley police station on April 10 last year.

At the time of the interview she made a prepared statement to answer the allegation of whether she had touched the steering wheel.

In the statement she said the only time she touched it was when she sat in the driving seat while the vehicle was parked at the petrol station.

Her fingerprints were not found on the wheel.

The investigating officer, Sergeant Michael Bute, told the court today: “It [the steering wheel] was sent for examination but there were no marks on the wheel.”

The case continues.