Moment 'show-off' driver accidentally runs down his best friend while picking him up from a night out

By JAKE HOLDEN, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:42, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 12:43, 23 June 2026 A show-off driver accidentally ran down his best friend while picking him up from a night out, but has avoided jail. Mehmet Celik, 24, ploughed into Thomas Rees, 23, with his Kia car, leaving him with a brain injury. The pair had been lifelong friends and had attended school and university together, Swansea Crown Court heard. Mr Rees had been on a night out in Swansea, South Wales, when he messaged Celik asking if he could give him a lift home shortly after 1am on August 26, 2024. Prosecutor Ryan Bowen said Celik 'sped past' their meeting point - then used a wide junction to turn around. But as Mr Rees was crossing the road to get into the passenger side of the car, Celik smashed into his friend. Mr Bowen said Mr Rees was thrown into the air, and his shoes were knocked off in the crash. Passersby rushed to help, including Celik, who was described as 'hysterical' at the scene and Mr Rees was airlifted to hospital. Mehmet Celik, 24, was seen ploughing into his best friend Thomas Rees, 23, with his Kia car on CCTV. The accident left Mr Rees with a brain injury Swansea Crown Court heard he suffered bleeding to the brain, a blood clot to his lungs, a broken breast bone, and a fractured fibula - one of the shin bones - and was in hospital for several weeks. Celik was travelling at 36mph on the wrong side of the carriageway on the 20mph road, a police report found. The crash left his front windscreen smashed, bonnet heavily dented, and headlights broken. Celik admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving. A victim impact statement heard Mr Rees' recovery had been 'prolonged and deeply upsetting' and his life was now 'shaped by his limitations.' David Singh, for Celik, said: 'This was an appalling lack of judgement by the defendant. There has always been a correlation between young men and demonstrations of bravado and driving in a certain manner. 'Fortunately the consequences were not fatal. He has lost his friendship through a moment of utter madness. 'There was nothing sinister. This was a misguided attempt to show off which backfired spectacularly. 'This was not prolonged dangerous driving and took place over a relatively short distance. 'This was an inexplicable decision to show off, and show bravado, which backfired spectacularly. 'He has sincere remorse for what happened. There are terrible circumstances for everybody involved.' Judge Geraint Walters said: 'This is a case of two young men, mates at school, who shared a room at university together, and one ends up maiming the other in a moment of complete and utter, on the face of it, madness. 'When you arrived in Mumbles, you entered a 20mph zone, much lamented by many, and drove at a plainly excessive speed in wet conditions and, as something of a game, on the wrong side of the road. Passersby rushed to help, including Celik, who was described as 'hysterical' at the scene and Mr Rees was airlifted to hospital 'Your friend was mowed down by you, and the whole thing is captured on CCTV. 'When will young people learn the road is not a playground? Every day you set foot in your car you take your own life and every other road user in your hands.' The judge continued: 'Since the time of the incident, you have been able to move on with your life, unlike your victim, running your own business in Swansea. Your victim isn't as lucky, and still bears the scars of what you did.' Celik was handed an 18-month suspended sentence and given a four-month nightly curfew. He was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for two years. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.