Teen driver hit woman seconds after taking hit from balloon at wheel of Fiat 500

Posted by. Posted onMay 14, 2025 Comments0
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T31S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/05/14/15/98375757-0-image-m-106_1747234483621.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-05-14T15:54:00+0100″,”description”:”Louisa Tunstall was this week sentenced to one year and eight months’ detention at Bolton Crown Court for having possession of a Class C drug, driving under the influence of drugs and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.”,”contentUrl”:”https://videos.metro.co.uk/video/met/2025/05/14/2392389857267502037/480x270_MP4_2392389857267502037.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video

Up Next

Previous Page
Next Page






















window.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {
if (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {
return;
}
var player = data.detail.carousel.el_;
var container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);
var placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);
container.removeChild(placeholder);
container.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);
});

A teenager has been jailed for nearly two years after hitting a pedestrian while getting high at the wheel.

Louisa Tunstall, 19, left teaching assistant Tracey Holman, 50, with injuries she still suffers from today when she knocked her down on May 24 last year.

Tunstall was seen inhaling nitrous oxide from a gold balloon behind the wheel of her Fiat 500 in Wigan, Greater Manchester, seconds before veering off the road and hitting Tracey.

The impact caused multiple fractures to her left leg, foot and ankle that mean she now has to sleep downstairs and has become a prisoner in her own home.

She told Bolton Crown Court: ‘This incident has had a significant impact on not only my life, but my family’s life.

‘I have missed so much in my life, and I feel that she can just go about her business as normal with no understanding of the consequences of her actions.’

Judge Abigail Hudson agreed with Tracey, telling Tunstall: ‘Your selfishness has been disastrous.’

A witness said she believed her car was going over the 30mph speed limit when it passed her and the driver – Tunstall – was inhaling from the balloon, which was later found deflated at the scene lying on the pavement.

Describing Tunstall’s actions as ‘staggeringly dangerous’, Prosecutor Alex Beevers told the court that Tracey was on her usual evening walk when she was hit from behind.

PLEASE NOTE: LIVE RATES APPLY. Pictured is Louisa Tunstall who mowed down a pedestrian Tracey Holman and left her with life changing injuries whilst inhaling 'hippy crack' at the wheel of her car. Disclaimer: While Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd uses its' best endeavours to establish the copyright and authenticity of all pictures supplied, it accepts no liability for any damage, loss or legal action caused by the use of images supplied. The publication of images is solely at your discretion. For terms and conditions see http://www.cavendish-press.co.uk/pages/terms-and-conditions.aspx
Louisa Tunstall has been jailed for 20 months (Picture: Cavendish)
Louisa Tunstall has been jailed after she drove under the influence of nitrous oxide and struck a pedestrian. A teenage driver who was high on nitrous oxide after inhaling it through a balloon has been jailed after seriously injuring a pedestrian. Nineteen-year-old Louisa Tunstall of Bradwell Road in Lowton, Wigan, was yesterday (May 13) sentenced to one year and eight months at Bolton Crown Court for having possession of a Class C drug, driving under the influence of drugs and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Alongside being jailed, she was also disqualified from driving for two years and eight months and ordered to take an extended test when she is released. The horror crash happened at around 7pm on Friday, May 24, 2024, on Newton Road in Lowton, Wigan, when Tunstall was driving a white Fiat 500 towards the East Lancashire Road.
Tunstall lied, saying she was retrieving something from the footwell when she lost control (Picture: SWNS)

The victim said things didn’t seem real when she saw blood dripping from her left leg and a white car on its side.

When police turned up, she lied that she had been trying to get something from the footwell when she lost control and the nitrous oxide canisters in the car were for her to use later.

Mr Beevers said: ‘Though the presence of nitrous oxide cannot be formally tested in the blood one of the significant aspects of the investigation was that one of the canisters weighed much less.

‘The weight of both canisters should be 2kg but one of the canisters was 1.6kg which suggested that one of them had been used and discharged.’

Woman high on nitrous oxide balloons whilst driving and hitting pedestrian is jailed picture: GMP https://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2025/may/woman-high-on-nitrous-oxide-balloons-whilst-driving-and-hitting-pedestrian-is-jailed/
Tunstall claimed nitrous oxide in her car was for use later (Picture: Greater Manchester Police)
3435611
CCTV footage captured Louisa Tunstall, 19, taking balloons of nitrous oxide while driving her Fiat 500 in Wigan (Picture: Greater Manchester Police)
PLEASE NOTE: LIVE RATES APPLY. Pictured is Tracey Holman. Louisa Tunstall who mowed down a pedestrian Tracey Holman and left her with life changing injuries whilst inhaling 'hippy crack' at the wheel of her car is behind bars. Disclaimer: While Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd uses its' best endeavours to establish the copyright and authenticity of all pictures supplied, it accepts no liability for any damage, loss or legal action caused by the use of images supplied. The publication of images is solely at your discretion. For terms and conditions see http://www.cavendish-press.co.uk/pages/terms-and-conditions.aspx
The crash severely impacted Tracey Holman’s life and she is still suffering to this day (Picture: Cavendish)

Judge Hudson said: ‘It must be entirely obvious to you that doing that would put everyone around you at risk. Yet you deliberately ignored the rules of the road and had a total disregard for the risk of danger to others.

‘The result of your selfishness has been disastrous for Mrs Holman,

‘You are a very young woman and while your presence here is absolutely tragic, you caused damage to Mrs Holman and her family.

‘The message must be sent to the public that those who inhale nitrous oxide while driving will go to prison.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Category

Leave a Comment