Teen sent chilling 'I've killed someone' text after hit-and-run, then ordered pizza

Teen sent chilling 'I've killed someone' text after hit-and-run, then ordered pizza Sonny Horsfall, 18, lost control of his car and slammed into an 84-year-old man before fleeing the scene and telling a friend 'I'm going to jail, I've killed someone' A teenager who ploughed his new car into an 84-year-old man texted a friend 'I've killed someone' after fleeing the scene. Sonny Horsfall, 18, lost control of his black Audi A4 on West Dyke Road in Redcar, North Yorkshire, on April 22. The vehicle flew over a patch of grass and hit a tree before slamming into the pensioner, who was walking along a footpath to get home at 10:23pm. Horsfall, who worked as a chef at a wellness retreat, ordered a pizza less than two hours after the crash - which saw the victim "thrown into the air," Durham Crown Court heard. Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, told the court: "The front wheel of the Audi was hanging off; and there were orange sparks coming from the vehicle. The front windscreen was smashed and there was damage to the bonnet." An ambulance was called after a neighbour began screaming when she came across the victim lying on the grass, the court heard. Horsfall, who was disqualified from driving, had already grabbed the car key and fled the scene by then, reports Teesside Live. The court heard the teenager had purchased the Audi A4 from a friend, for £250, at 6pm that evening. By 11pm, he contacted the pal to say that he had "lost control" after coming out of a junction and had "hit someone". "I'm going to get seriously f***** for it," Horsfall messaged. "I went up the kerb. Bro, the man got smashed. He's bad, bro. I think I killed him." The teenager had driven over 30 miles to Redcar that evening, and recorded Snapchat videos en route, the court heard. On Skelton High Street, the video showed he was driving at 48mph over speed bumps. He wrote: "Smoke 'em boys" as he beeped at other drivers. "F*** the red lights," he typed, "you're getting dusted." After the crash, Horsfall messaged a pal on Snapchat saying: "Bro, I'm going to jail. I've killed someone. I hit someone in a car. Hit an old man, his head smashed the windscreen. My DNA all over the car. I smashed my face off the wheel. I ripped the key out and then I ran off." He was arrested the following day after police found him in Malton. Horsefall, of Ryedale View in Kirkbymoorside, was today jailed for three years and disqualified from driving for four years. The victim of the crash survived but suffered serious injuries which left him needing surgery to rebuild his hip. He was placed in an induced coma in hospital but has since made a good recovery, Ms Marsay said. The pensioner said he did not remember the collision but suffered damage to his hip, broken bones in his back, and a broken foot. The crash also led to him being "largely immobile" after his operation and taking part in rehabilitation to learn how to walk again, he added. He can now walk a short distance using a walking frame. "I was a fit, healthy and independent 84-year-old man," the widower said. "I was able to cook for myself, drive, and go out and meet people. The loss of my independence and dignity has been one of the hardest consequences of this incident. I really miss being able to get out and about as I used to." The man said he does not know "what would have happened to me" if neighbours hadn't come out to help. Horsfall had earlier pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance, and failing to stop after a road traffic accident. His barrister Kelly Clarke told the court that "the man described in this offence, is in stark difference to the man I have met." Ms Clarke said that the 18-year-old is "suffering from PTSD and is not sleeping". The defence barrister told the court that Horsfall said he'd taken "two pregabalin" tablets in the lead up to the crash and that he is now "wholly remorseful". "Custody has been a shock to him," Ms Clarke added. "He's been assaulted. Someone took a blade to his face and he required 16 stitches." Judge Christopher Knox told Horsfall that he had behaved "with wickedness and stupidity". He said that the friend who sold the Audi "made it clear that it was not in proper order". "You lost control of the car, mounted the pavement and took out an active and law-abiding gentleman. He's suffered real injuries which are a disability to him," said the judge. "Because of his own force of character, and with the assistance of friends and family, he's made a remarkable recovery." Investigating officer, Detective Constable Rachael Johnson, said: "This was a shocking and wholly avoidable collision which has left an 84-year-old man with serious injuries while simply walking home on the pavement." Mr Johnson added: "It is hoped the sentence handed to Sonny Horsfall today serves as a clear reminder of the consequences of disregarding the rules of the road. Driving is a privilege and a responsibility, not a right. "Anyone who gets behind the wheel without a licence, without insurance, or who drives recklessly is placing innocent members of the public at risk. The outcome of this case could easily have been fatal."