A teenage driver has denied he was racing another vehicle on a country road prior to a serious injury collision.

Cameron Shires was arrested at the scene of the two-vehicle crash on the B6282, in Teesdale, County Durham, on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

A large number of emergency service vehicles attended the scene, near Burn Bridge and Bogg House Farm, between Middleton-in-Teesdale and Eggleston, shortly after 4.30pm on Sunday April 16, last year.

Two casualties from one car involved, the driver and passenger from a Vauxhall Corsa, who were described as being, “seriously ill”, were air-lifted to hospital for life-saving treatment.

A third casualty, the passenger in a Seat Ibiza, who was also seriously injured, was taken by ambulance to hospital.

The Northern Echo:

Durham Police appealed for information from witnesses and other motorists in the area at the time, as part of the investigation into the cause of the collision.

It resulted in the 19-year-old defendant being charged with causing serious injury, to one of the injured trio, by dangerous driving in a Honda Civic on the B6277 and the B6282, on April 16, 2023.

The Northern Echo: The prosecution alleges the defendant was racing with another vehicle on the B6282, near Eggleston,

Appearing at a Durham Crown Court plea hearing yesterday (Wednesday May 8), he denied the charge.

Asked by Recorder Richard Wright KC what the issue in the case will be, Paul Abrahams, prosecuting, told the court: “He denies he was racing at the time.”

Paul Rooney, representing Shires, said the defence may appoint its own driving expert to submit a report to the court ahead of the trial.

The Northern Echo:

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Recorder Wright said any defence expert's report should be submitted to the court by July 30 and a joint report by experts for the defence and prosecution on points of agreement should be drawn up ahead of the trial date.

A convenient start date for the anticipated four-day contested hearing was agreed for Monday March 3, next year.

Recorder Wright said the joint experts’ report should be submitted to the court four weeks earlier.

Addressing Shires, Recorder Wright told him the trial will take place on March 3, 2025, but an important date for him prior to that is July 16, by which time his defence statement must be signed and submitted to the court.

The Recorder then extended bail for the defendant, of Yarm Road, Darlington, on the same terms which existed previously.