Travis Madden (pictured) was sentenced five years in jail after crashing his Toyota Starlet and killing his friend who was riding in the passenger seat
A mechanic has been jailed for five years after he crashed his car into a tree and killed his friend who was riding in the passenger seat.
Travis Madden, 22, was driving in Crawley when he attempted a ‘Formula One style slip-stream’ overtake of another vehicle.
He lost control of his Toyota Starlet and smashed the car into a tree, severely injuring his legs and killing his friend.
Officers investigating the incident also discovered shocking footage of the mechanic from Crawley racing along a busy motorway on his motorbike – taking a phone call at 110mph – months before the fatal crash.
Madden was charged with one count of causing death while uninsured and five counts of reckless driving after the officers discovered the footage.
Hove Crown Court, East Sussex, heard the mechanic had been driving his Toyota Starlet on the A2011 in Crawley on the night of October 14, 2016, when he left the road and hit a tree.
A witness told police they had seen Madden attempt a ‘Formula One slip-stream overtake’ manoeuvre before losing control of the vehicle.
This technique is popular in professional racing because a driver can edge up to the rear of a car and catch its ‘drag’ before gaining the speed to overtake the vehicle.
After the crash, officers checked Madden’s phone and discovered the footage of him racing along the M23 in Surrey and Sussex.
The video, recorded on a camera attached to Madden’s helmet, showed him weaving between cars on the busy motorway while riding his Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R motorbike, which has a top speed of 160mph.
When he receives a phone call at more than 110mph and answers it – screaming: ‘Hello.’
He then tells the caller ‘I can’t hear a f***ing thing’, before informing them he is about 45 minutes away from his destination as he reduces his speed to around 80mph.
After the crash, investigating officers found previous footage on Madden’s phone of him driving recklessly down the M23 in Surrey and Sussex
Madden admitted five counts of dangerous driving relating to five different incidents on his motorbike, but denied causing the death of his friend.
But he was convicted at Hove Crown Court after a five-day trial to five years in prison.
Judge Jeremy Gold said: ‘Your mindset at the time of the collision was that you drove in pursuit of thrill-seeking, no doubt thinking you were invincible.
‘This case in an example of the tragedy that comes from that mindset.’
Speaking after the hearing, Sussex Police sergeant Rob Baldwin said: ‘An independent witness who saw the collision told the court how he saw Madden performing a ‘Formula One slip-stream overtake’ of another vehicle.
In one video, Madden takes a phone call while driving 110mph down the motorway
‘He then lost control of his vehicle, leaving the road and colliding with a tree.
‘During the course of our investigation we recovered videos from Madden’s mobile phone, and subsequently from his home computer.
‘These videos were recorded by Madden himself whilst riding his high-powered Kawasaki motorcycle in the four months prior to the fatal collision.
‘The videos showed him riding at grossly excessive speeds, racing, undertaking other vehicles, and on one occasion using a mobile phone whilst riding at speed.
‘It is clear that Madden was a young man who enjoyed the thrill of speed, and had a propensity to drive dangerously, with little or no room for error.
‘He had no regard to the risks he posed to other road users or to himself. Driving in this manner, it was inevitable that at some point he would crash.’