Devastated Family Release Video of Drug-fueled Car Crash That Killed Young Dad

Richie Jordan Death Richie Jordan Mark Thompson Lewis Atkinson drunk driving driving under the influence

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Aug 17, 10:56 am

Photo: (Photo : Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The devastated family of a young dad killed in a high-speed drug-fueled car crash released a video of the tragic incident to warn other people of the dangers of driving under the influence, according to Yahoo.

Richie Jordan was riding in the back seat of a Mercedes driven by his colleague Mark Thompson when the car crashed and overturned on the A19 near Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, three years ago.

The vehicle had reached speeds of more than 120 miles per hour, and Jordan was pronounced dead at the scene following the violent crash. Lewis Atkinson, who was the front seat passenger, suffered a bleed on his brain.

Harrowing footage of the crash released

Thompson was found to be over the limit for both drugs and alcohol. He was jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and causing death by dangerous driving. Thompson had also been banned from driving for three years after his release from jail.

Jordan's partner, Carol King, had asked for the footage of the collision from the car's dashcam to be made public, according to Chronicle Live. She made the request in the hope that others would think before getting behind the wheel and driving under the influence.

The 30-year-old said that she used to be the person who read about these tragic incidents but then it happened to her own family. King said that people don't realize at the time when under the influence of drugs or alcohol that all common sense and inhibitions go out of the window.

She explained that other road users, pedestrians, their safety, and their passengers do not register when under the influence and are not called into question. King then pointed out that the recklessness completely spirals.

King's girls will grow up without their dad

She said she probably would not challenge somebody who had been drinking before Jordan died. The problem is that she sees it constantly, people pushing the boundaries. Among the things that they will say is that it's only down the road and that he will be fine as it will only take five minutes.

King said she now would not think twice about challenging someone she knew who was over the limit. She said that was precisely what happened on the night Jordan died. Several decisions were made on that fateful night without thinking or being challenged, and it has destroyed the lives of so many people as a result.

King, who hails from Sunderland, discovered she was pregnant with Jordan's second child just 11 days after losing her beloved partner. She now has two young girls that will grow up, unfortunately, without their father, according to BBC News. King said that four-year-old Quinn and two-year-old Gray have yet to fully comprehend the loss of their father and the enormity of what has happened to him and their family.