Derbyshire Police release chilling footage of drink-drive car crash which killed 17-year-old girl

Phoebe Johnson was a passenger in a Seat Leon being driven by pal Melissa Keilloh, 20, which crashed in Swadlincote, on October 23, 2021. The pair had been at a house party that evening and Keilloh can be heard in the video admitting "I'm f**ked" before getting behind the wheel.

Keilloh lost control on a bend while driving at 72mph in a 60mph zone and clipped the kerb along the A514. Phoebe - who was less than two weeks away from her 18th birthday - was thrown from the Seat Leon. Keilloh was heard to scream "I've killed Phoebe" after finding her body by a hedge.

Keilloh was jailed for three years after admitting causing death by careless driving when over the prescribed limit at Derby Crown Court in January. Shocking footage of the crash was captured on Keilloh’s own dashcam, which was played in court at her sentencing.

Phoebe's parents Nicola and Paul Johnson have now bravely agreed for the video to be shared by police as a warning about the dangers of drink-driving.

In the footage, Keilloh can be heard being asked "Do you feel like you are going to put our lives in danger?" as they left the house party. Keilloh replies: "100 per cent. I'm f**ked." After they set off Keilloh can be seen dangerously overtaking cars along dark country lanes while listening to loud dance music.

The disturbing moment she lost control 15 minutes later is then shown capturing the girl's screams and the screeching of the brakes as Keilloh's crashes.

Mum Nicola said: "Life can be taken from you in just a heartbeat. "When I did go round [to see her hospital] I just held her hand and I didn't want to leave.

"It just drains everything from you, everything is just an effort and you wonder how long I have to go through this pain for. It's had such a massive impact not just on us and our families but friends and the wider community.

"You don't realise until you're actually going through it what impact it has on everything. I'd say to parents never stopping fussing and to youngsters - please listen and please look after yourselves."

Nicola also recalled the moment police officers came to their door and rushed the couple to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre. She added: "It was about 1am, I heard the sirens. It was one of them where I thought, 'Did I hear that or was I dreaming?' And then I saw the blue lights coming through the curtains, followed by hammering on the door. I got out of bed and looked out the window, there were torches flashing up at us.

"They said to me 'your daughter has been in an accident and she's really poorly,' and they got us there very quickly. I knew she must've been poorly by how they had come to get us but I still didn't imagine that would be the outcome."

Husband Paul added: "It was like a runaway train nobody could get off. But she should have said 'I'm not getting in the car'. The driver did say she was still drunk to drive, but she did it anyway. It was stupid, knowing she had been drinking to get in the car. Just don't get in a car, if the driver has been drinking. Even if they've had one."

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: "We hope that their story will help us show just what the reality of reckless behaviour behind the wheel can lead to. "It’s part of our Just a Second campaign- where we would urge you to take a second to make the decision not to drink and drive. It just isn’t worth the risk."