'Boy racer' reached almost 100mph at car meet before hitting budding footballer, 20, and throwing him 10ft in the air

A 'boy racer' who reached speeds of almost 100mph at an unauthorised car meet later struck and killed a budding young footballer from Stockport, causing him to be thrown 10ft into the air.

Mason Hodgson, 23 was driving his black Audi S3 at the unregulated event in Warrington, Cheshire, on April 10 2022 when he mowed down former England Schoolboys player Sam Harding as he stepped into the road.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how the car meet was taking place on an industrial estate in Woolston, Warrington. Several hundred people were in attendance at the event, including 20-year-old Samuel, who had visited with his two friends to look at other cars.

Hodgson, who also attended, then decided to join in by 'attempting to drive as fast as possible' along Kingsland Grange in his black Audi, the court was told.

Horror CCTV footage, analysed by police from the area, showed how he reached speeds of 97mph in a 30-zone before he struck Samuel. Cheshire Constabulary said that due to the speed he was travelling, Hodgson was unable to brake in time after seeing Samuel in the road.

The impact caused Samuel to be thrown 10 feet into the air and sustain serious head injuries. Emergency services were called, but he died a short time later. Hodgson was arrested at the scene.

During their enquiries, officers contacted over 100 witnesses, took statements from 95 people and viewed hundreds of hours of CCTV and mobile phone footage showing the lead-up to the fatal collision.

An expert in CCTV analyst reviewed the footage and was able to prove that Hodgson had reached speeds of between 83 and 97mph while driving along Kingsland Grange. In the moments before the collision, he was travelling at between 82 and 88mph, and even after applying the