The 33-year-old was a passenger in the Mercedes driven by colleague Mark Thompson when it overturned on the A19, near Sunderland, after reaching speeds of more than 120mph.
Thompson was found to be over the limit for both drink and drugs and is now behind bars after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Read more: ‘We’ll spend our lives fighting for our children’: Parents of Jack Woodley’s teenage killers claim sons are innocent And now Richie’s partner Carol King has called for the dash cam footage of the collision to be released in the hope others will think again before getting behind the wheel under the influence. The 30-year-old said: “I was the person reading about these tragic incidents. Then it happened to my family. People don’t realize the moment when under the influence of drink or drugs, all inhibitions and common sense go out the window. Other road users, pedestrians, even the safety of your own passengers and your own is not registered and questioned, the recklessness is completely spiraling. Richie, Quinn and Carol. (Image: Lisa McCormick Photography) “Before Richie passed, I probably wouldn’t have challenged someone who had been drinking, but you see it all the time, people who cross the line. “I’ll only have one pair”, “it’s only on the way”, “I’ll be fine, it’ll only take five minutes”. Now I wouldn’t think twice about challenging someone I knew was crossing the line. “The night Richie died, that’s exactly what happened. A series of decisions were made without thought or questioning. It has ruined so many people’s lives. One moment – sitting behind the wheel under the influence of drink and drugs – and for what?’ Non-league footballer Richie was a backseat passenger in the car, which crashed near Houghton-le-Spring in August 2019. Mark Thompson, jailed for causing death by dangerous driving Lewis Atkinson, who was in the front seat, suffered a brain bleed. Just weeks after losing her partner, Carol, from Sunderland, discovered she was pregnant with Richie’s second child and now has two little girls who will grow up without their dad. “I now have two young daughters, Quinn is four and Gray is two, who have yet to fully grasp their loss and the enormity of what happened,” she said. “The ripple effect of that night passed to two young children to carry the burden before their lives had even begun.” Richie Jordan with daughter Quinn Thompson, of Seaton Crescent, Seaham, County Durham, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The 42-year-old was jailed for six years and eight months and banned from traveling for three years, starting on his release. Carol asked Northumbria Police to release the footage to support a national drink and drug driving awareness campaign which will run over the next fortnight. The aftermath of the crash that killed Richie Jordan Officers from Northumbria Police’s Operation Dragoon team will be carrying out road enforcement as well as educating drivers about the consequences of driving with alcohol or drugs in their system. Carol added: “Campaigns like this are so important and that’s why we wanted to release the video now and hopefully stop others from making the same mistakes that were made that night. “In the years since Richie’s death, we’ve all been trying to figure it out – it must have been for something. There has to be a positive or a lesson we can take from this. Richard Jordan’s two daughters Quinn and Gray (Image: Collect) “So when you see someone thinking about jumping into a car under the influence, think Richie. Think of my girls and remember the story you are reading now – a story similar to the ones I once read could be your reality as it is for me now.’ Captain Glen Robson, of Northumbria Police’s Operation Dragoon team, said: “By making the decision to get behind the wheel, you are rolling the dice with people’s lives. As this horrific case shows, it can have irreversible consequences and to destroy more than one life at a time. “This video showing the moment before Richie’s death is cruel and painful. We’re publishing it for one reason – to try to help get the message out to people. “We all have a responsibility to help make our roads as safe as they can be for all road users. Anyone who defies the law and plays with other people’s lives will be dealt with severely.” The National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Drink and Drug Driving campaign will run until 28 August. Read next:
