Driver of a stolen car who killed his passenger is jailed.

JAILED: Driver of a stolen car who killed his passenger is jailed

A drunk driver, high on drugs and speeding in a stolen car – this lethal combination is what led to Joshua Rafferty killing his passenger in July 2024.

Those involved in criminality are more likely to take greater risks on our roads, and 20-year-old Rafferty now faces a lengthy sentence in prison for his actions.

On Sunday 26 July 2024, roads policing officers responded to calls from Yorkshire Ambulance Service that a Ford Mondeo had been involved in a collision on Goodison Boulevard in Doncaster.

Upon officers’ arrival, the passenger of the vehicle, 30-year-old Aiden Allen, was sadly pronounced dead and the driver, Rafferty, was trapped inside.

As our investigation into the collision unfolded, officers identified that the vehicle Rafferty had been driving on his provisional licence, with no insurance, had been reported stolen and was on cloned plates.

From witnesses and evidence, officers began to understand that Rafferty had been driving the car at speed, and on approaching a left-hand bend, lost control, mounted a kerb and collided with a lamppost before ploughing into an electric box.

Rafferty was taken to hospital, where wraps of Class A drugs were recovered from his socks.

A blood sample was taken from Rafferty which showed he was over the prescribed limit for alcohol and had cocaine in his system.

Today, Monday 7 April at Sheffield Crown Court, Rafferty was sentenced to nine years in prison and disqualified from driving for 15 years and three months.

Investigating Officer PC Natalie Booler from the Serious Collisions Unit said:“My thoughts remain with those affected by Aiden’s loss.

“Driving under the influence of drugs is one of the four most common contributing factors to fatal collisions and on that night, Rafferty got behind the wheel of that car knowing he was in no fit state or had a licence to drive.

“Rafferty was the driver of that vehicle – he had control, he made the decisions and his actions killed Aiden.”

April sees officers from across South Yorkshire raise awareness of the Fatal 4 offences; the four most attributing factors to fatal and serious collisions.

PC Booler added: “We are doing all we can to reduce casualties on our roads but road safety is everyone’s responsibility. Don’t think you’re invisible, don’t think it won’t happen to you and make sure you do your part.”

More about our involvement in the National Police Chiefs’ Councils awareness month of action can be read here: https://orlo.uk/0bouJ