US citizen jailed over ‘boy racer’ crash which left nurse unable to walk

A US national who fled the UK aft a car clang which near a intelligence wellness caregiver incapable to locomotion has been jailed for 32 months pursuing his extradition.

Dashcam footage played to Worcester Crown Court showed Isac Calderon losing power of his Honda Accord aft a high-speed overtaking manoeuvre, crashing head-on into a Mercedes being driven by caregiver Elizabeth Donowho.

Texas-born Calderon, who was 22 astatine the clip of the incidental and is present 23, pleaded blameworthy astatine a erstwhile proceeding to causing superior wounded by driving a Honda Accord dangerously connected July 31 past twelvemonth adjacent Shucknall successful Herefordshire.

Passing condemnation on Calderon, who appeared successful tribunal via a video-link to HMP Hewell, Judge Martin Jackson told him: “Seven days earlier this mishap you had bought a car and had not taken the occupation to marque definite that it carried insurance.

“It was the benignant of driving 1 expects from arrogant young lad racers. This was an appalling portion of driving.”

The justice was told Calderon worked for an American institution successful Peterborough arsenic an interpreter, and told constabulary aft his apprehension that helium “played travel the leader” erstwhile helium was driving.

Calderon’s lawyer told the tribunal that helium was not successful the UK “as an American Army authoritative of immoderate sort” and was driving on the A4103 betwixt Worcester and Hereford to conscionable a person helium had struck up a relationship with done online gaming.

The judge, who besides handed Calderon a two-year driving prohibition to beryllium served aft his release, told him: “You had held a driving licence for nary much than a year.

“You were truthful connected immoderate presumption an inexperienced driver. You had not really taken the occupation to familiarise yourself with coagulated achromatic lines and what they mean, what they are determination for.

It is troubling that alternatively of attending astatine that archetypal (magistrates' court) day you chose to to instrumentality to America alternatively than look the music.

Sentencing Judge Martin Jackson

“Although you accidental you were doing ‘follow the leader’ the work for this mishap rests solely with you.

“It was your hands connected the steering wheel. It was your ft connected the accelerator and it was your caput deciding to marque those unsafe manoeuvres.

“It is troubling that alternatively of attending astatine that archetypal (magistrates’ court) day you chose to to instrumentality to America alternatively than look the music.

“Other radical were intelligibly alert of the roadworthy conditions and driving safely. You chose to bash the opposite.”

The unfortunate of the crash, a freelance caregiver who was connected her mode location from moving astatine a infirmary successful portion successful Hereford, suffered aggregate fractures successful the collision, including to some ankles, her sternum and her close hand.

The tribunal heard Calderon suffered a breached limb and concussion, portion Ms Donowho, aged 56, has yet to instrumentality to enactment owed to the far-reaching consequences of the crash, which happened connected a bedewed roadworthy aboveground successful a 50mph zone.

The crash, which happened arsenic Calderon followed an Audi which was up of him, was recorded connected beforehand and rear cameras mounted to a van.

One witnesser estimated Calderon’s velocity arsenic being astir 70mph soon earlier the clang and had feared helium was “going to termination himself oregon idiosyncratic else”, authoritative Simon Phillips told the court.