Boyfriend high on cocaine kills girlfriend by driving car 22ft off bridge
Watch: Terrifying moment man kills girlfriend by driving car 22ft off bridge
This is the shocking moment a man high on cocaine killed his girlfriend by ploughing his car though barriers before plunging 22ft off a bridge to the ground.
Roadside camera captured the shocking moment Andrew Vowles, 35, sped through a red light at up to 64mph before crossing two lanes of road and smashing through barriers.
The VW Golf is then seen disappearing into woodland after it hit large trees and finally came to a stop on its roof.
A court heard Vowles had been on a night out with girlfriend Danielle Andrews, 28, before the pair checked out of their hotel in the early hours of the morning.
Prosecutor Rachel Knight said Vowles managed to escape from the wreckage on the Coryton interchange in Cardiff – but Ms Andrews died.
She said: "The slip road is 250m long and it bends to the left at the top where it meets the main gyratory system where there is a set of traffic lights.
"The lights were showing red for 14 seconds as the defendant was travelling towards them using speeds between 62 and 64mph."
Cardiff Crown Court heard footage from roadside cameras showed Vowles failing to slow down as he approached the lights.
The car then hit the kerb before travelling over two lanes of traffic, into the crash barriers and through the air.
Knight said: "He drove in a straight line with no attempt to brake.
"He collided with crash barriers at such speed and force that they were completely demolished."
The court heard the car was travelling at around 43mph through the air before it crashed into large trees and landed on its roof 75ft ahead.
Mother-of-four Ms Andrews was left "cocooned" in the car wearing a seatbelt while Vowles walked to the hard shoulder of the A470.
The court heard Vowles had nine points on his licence at the time of the crash in November 2020 – and was not wearing his seatbelt.
Blood tests revealed he was over five times the legal limit for drugs after being tested positive for cocaine.
The court heard text messages revealed Vowles had been asking to pick up cocaine from a dealer at 4.01am following a night out with Ms Andrews.
The car was then captured on camera on the 40mph slip road just five minutes later before running the red light.
Vowles freed himself from the car and flagged down a lorry driver at 4.30am.
He lied to police and claimed there had been up to four people inside the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Defending, Owen Williams said Vowles is "truly remorseful" for his actions but judge Richard Williams jailed Vowles for seven years and six months.
He said: "It can't be said there is genuine remorse in this case as opposed to self pity.
"This was as clear a case of dangerous driving as can be."
Vowles, of Caerphilly, South Wales, was also banned from driving for eight years and nine months - and will have to take an extended driving test.
