Cocaine driver crash: Drug-fuelled motorist causes head-on collision after taking coke in dramatic video

A shocking video shows the moment a driver causes a head-on collision after taking cocaine. Keisha Barnes, 39, was high on the Class A drug when she lost control of her Mini Cooper at 1:50am on April 30 2023.

Over the limit

Barnes was driving on the A259 near Colworth in West Sussex when she veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into a Toyota Verso taxi on the other side of the road. Her passenger was left with life-changing injuries.

After the crash, Barnes told police officers that she must have fallen asleep at the wheel. However, a blood test revealed she had 35 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood in her body. The legal limit is 10 micrograms of cocaine per litre of blood.  

Barnes pleaded guilty to causing serious injuries by dangerous driving at Lewes Crown Court. She was jailed for two years and six months and disqualified from driving for four years and three months. 

In a victim impact statement, Barnes’ passenger said: “If you keep doing what you are doing, then you will hurt more people and ruin other people’s lives.”

'Reckless and selfish'

Detective Constable Kelly Newton, of Sussex Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Barnes’ actions that night were reckless and selfish. She lost control of her vehicle after consuming drugs, veering into an oncoming vehicle which gave the other driver no time to react.

“This case demonstrates how drug-driving poses a serious risk to the safety of all road users, including the driver themselves. Barnes was incredibly fortunate not to have caused a fatal collision that night."