The parents of 19-year-old Ben Corfield, who was killed when a driver ploughed into pedestrians at a street-cruising event, watched the car involved get crushed, hoping no other family experiences the same pain.
Ben Corfield and 16-year-old Liberty Harris, both from Dudley, died in Oldbury in November 2022 when 56-year-old Dhiya Al Maamoury crashed his modified Nissan Skyline into a crowd. A man and a woman were also seriously injured. Al Maamoury, from Solihull, was sentenced in 2024 to more than 13 years after pleading guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Ben’s father, Damian Corfield, said destroying the vehicle brought some relief. “I do feel relieved that the car’s gone, that we can draw a line under that negativity now and start to rebuild our lives,” he said. He added that the car felt like a weapon: “It’s no different to a gun or a knife.”
Det Sgt Paul Hughes of West Midlands Police said the crushing was meant to give the families a sense of closure.
Ben’s mother, Lynette Corfield, said seeing the crushed car helped her move forward. “I’ve looked at my son’s picture and said that’s it, my son. It’s never going to come back, it’s never going to hurt anybody else again.”
Police hope the crushing also sends a message about how a split-second decision on the road can have devastating consequences.
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