Driver drank at pub before Audi crash that killed friend on Lancashire road
A young driver has been found guilty of causing the death of a friend after crashing his car into a tree on a country road in Lancashire.
Matthew Bennett lost control of his Audi A1 while driving along Cobbs Brow Lane in Newburgh in April 2023. The car left the road on a bend and collided with a tree.
His passenger, 20-year-old Christopher Tromp, from Wigan, suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that Bennett, who was 21 at the time, had been drinking at a nearby pub before getting behind the wheel.
Bennett, now 23, was also seriously injured in the collision and spent several weeks in a coma.
Following a seven-day trial at Preston Crown Court, a jury unanimously found Bennett guilty of causing death by dangerous driving on Tuesday, January 27.
Bennett, formerly of Lawrence Road, Liverpool, was charged in January 2025 after a police investigation into the fatal collision.
He has been released on bail and is due to be sentenced on March 24.