Ex-football player driving BMW ingested laughing gas before the A19 crash that left friend in a vegetative state.
Mason Thornton sold nitrous gas and offered it to buddies in his car before driving down A19: The 25-year-old’s companion Harlan Moon now requires 24-hour care due to the injuries sustained in the incident.
A party-goer who ingested laughing gas while driving down the A19 collided with a crash barrier at around 80mph.
Mason Thornton’s passenger, Harlan Moon, was thrown from the car. The tragedy left the 25-year-old with a cracked skull and blood in his brain. Teesside Crown Court heard that he has been left in a vegetative state and requires 24-hour care.
Former footballer Thornton, 21, had four passengers in his car after they left a party and took nitrous oxide, which Thornton provided, on October 23, 2022.
On Wednesday, Harlan Moon’s parents, brother, and sister witnessed Thornton’s sentencing at Teesside Crown Court. The Middlesbrough court heard that two women had gone out in Stockton that night to celebrate a birthday.
They met with Thornton, a former Darlington FC player, at The Wobbly Goblin nightclub. At 4am, the group took a taxi to a residence in Thornaby for a party.
Emma Atkinson, prosecutor, stated that people were discussing “Smartwhips” and inhaling nitrous oxide from balloons. When the host forced everyone to go due of the disturbance, the gang, which now included Harlan Moon, piled into Thornton’s car with him.
Thornton drove around the corner and gave them balloons filled with laughing gas. He then drove away, still inhaling through his balloon. According to Ms Atkinson, one of the female passengers recorded Thornton using the narcotic while driving.
Thornton then admitted that he didn’t know where he was heading and had been following directions from his passengers. He veered off the highway at 80mph, too late to take the Billingham exit.
‘I did not intend it. I fell asleep.
He drove into the crash barrier with such force that it was pulled off its perch and wrapped around Thornton’s car. A passerby discovered Harlan Moon lying unconscious on the road. One man who stopped to help reported hearing Thornton tell his friend Harlan, “I didn’t mean it. I fell asleep.
The other passengers escaped major injury, but Harlan was severely injured. His skull was broken, and the right portion had to be surgically removed to relieve pressure on his brain, the court heard.
Harlan is now in a vegetative state, relying entirely on others for all aspects of his care. Ms. Atkinson stated that there is “no evidence of awareness of himself or of his environment.” His family is in the midst of selling their home in order to relocate to an adapted home that would accommodate Harlan when he returns home.
Crash investigation report
Crash investigators determined that the crash was caused by driving error, excessive speed, and distraction, and that it was “possibly exacerbated by the use of nitrous oxide.” 15 cylinders of laughing gas were discovered in the automobile.
Thornton’s mobile phone revealed that he had been selling the medication, which costs £19.99 per canister, for at least two months. He had been using Snapchat to market his supply, and he had received messages that stated, “Any whips?”.
Thornton, from Tarr Steps in Ingleby Barwick, admitted to causing serious injury through careless driving and providing nitrous oxide. The court heard statements from Harlan’s family.
Harlan’s father, Alan, stated that he attended St Michael’s Secondary School before going on to college to become a bricklayer. He stated, “He was an active, sociable young man.” He enjoyed his employment for a local builder.
“He played football in local leagues. He routinely drove from town to town to visit his numerous buddies. He loves watching Middlesbrough play with me and his brother, Ethan.
“On October 23, 2022, everything changed for our family. Harlan now requires 24 hour care. I see my son laying in the hospital. It’s Harlan, but he’s not my son, as I knew before the incident.”
“The driver of the car ruined five lives.”
Ethan Moon stated that he was best friends with his brother, while his sister Piper stated that she had dropped out of college because to what happened to Harlan. His mother, Deborah, has given up her clinical care career to focus on caring for Harlan, and his father, Alan, has given up his job because it required him to work abroad and he felt he wanted to remain at home to help Harlan and his family.
“We struggle to accept and understand the acts of the driver that day,” Deborah Moon said in her statement, “to make the intentional decision to use a chemical while understanding its impact on the body. The car’s driver ruined five lives, including Harlan’s.
‘I did not intend it. I fell asleep.
He drove into the crash barrier with such force that it was pulled off its perch and wrapped around Thornton’s car. A passerby discovered Harlan Moon lying unconscious on the road. One man who stopped to help reported hearing Thornton tell his friend Harlan, “I didn’t mean it. I fell asleep.
The other passengers escaped major injury, but Harlan was severely injured. His skull was broken, and the right portion had to be surgically removed to relieve pressure on his brain, the court heard.
Harlan is now in a vegetative state, relying entirely on others for all aspects of his care. Ms. Atkinson stated that there is “no evidence of awareness of himself or of his environment.” His family is in the midst of selling their home in order to relocate to an adapted home that would accommodate Harlan when he returns home.
Crash investigation report
Crash investigators determined that the crash was caused by driving error, excessive speed, and distraction, and that it was “possibly exacerbated by the use of nitrous oxide.” 15 cylinders of laughing gas were discovered in the automobile.
Thornton’s mobile phone revealed that he had been selling the medication, which costs £19.99 per canister, for at least two months. He had been using Snapchat to market his supply, and he had received messages that stated, “Any whips?”.
Thornton, from Tarr Steps in Ingleby Barwick, admitted to causing serious injury through careless driving and providing nitrous oxide. The court heard statements from Harlan’s family.
Harlan’s father, Alan, stated that he attended St Michael’s Secondary School before going on to college to become a bricklayer. He stated, “He was an active, sociable young man.” He enjoyed his employment for a local builder.
“He played football in local leagues. He routinely drove from town to town to visit his numerous buddies. He loves watching Middlesbrough play with me and his brother, Ethan.
“On October 23, 2022, everything changed for our family. Harlan now requires 24 hour care. I see my son laying in the hospital. It’s Harlan, but he’s not my son, as I knew before the incident.”
“The driver of the car ruined five lives.”
Ethan Moon stated that he was best friends with his brother, while his sister Piper stated that she had dropped out of college because to what happened to Harlan. His mother, Deborah, has given up her clinical care career to focus on caring for Harlan, and his father, Alan, has given up his job because it required him to work abroad and he felt he wanted to remain at home to help Harlan and his family.
“We struggle to accept and understand the acts of the driver that day,” Deborah Moon said in her statement, “to make the intentional decision to use a chemical while understanding its impact on the body. The car’s driver ruined five lives, including Harlan’s.
Following the sentencing, Cleveland Police Inspector Stephen Clyburn stated: “Today has highlighted the tragic consequences of taking nitrous oxide while driving. A young man with his whole life ahead of him has been left with serious injuries and will now need life-long care, changing his and his families’ lives forever.”
“The consequences of using nitrous oxide, a class C substance, and driving can be disastrous, and while I applaud Mason Thornton’s punishment today, it pales in comparison to the life sentence Harlan and his family will now face. I hope this sends a clear message to others, particularly young drivers, that nitrous oxide is a narcotic, and that inhaling it while driving puts not only your life at risk, but the lives of others as well. You will be charged and brought before the courts.”
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