"Cowardly" driver fled the scene of high-speed crash that seriously injured two people near Peterborough
A man who was driving at 91mph before causing a crash near Peterborough which left two people seriously injured has been jailed.
Cambridgeshire Police said: “Levi Loveridge, 32, of Whittlesey Road, March, fled the scene of the crash in North Bank, Thorney, at about 12.45am on 29 June last year.
“He was driving a black Volvo V40 east along a 60mph-limit stretch of road alongside the River Nene, near the junction with the B1040 North Side, when he crashed into an oncoming Toyota Yaris.
“The impact caused the Volvo to leave the road and come to rest down an embankment, while the Toyota was forced backwards onto a verge.
“Loveridge fled the scene, leaving the driver and passenger in the Toyota with serious injuries.
“They were later taken to hospital where the driver underwent surgery for a shattered thigh bone, and the passenger was treated for a fractured back and hip injuries.
Police said Loveridge couldn’t be located for five days, but officers found him when they returned to his home, “limping and wearing a medical boot”.
Collision investigators found the Volvo had been travelling at about 91mph five seconds before impact and about 79mph at the moment of the crash. The Toyota had been travelling at about 20mph.
The spokesperson went on: “In police interview, Loveridge admitted he had been driving but claimed he had little memory of the incident, telling officers he believed he had hit his head in the collision.”
At Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday (12 May), Loveridge was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and must take an extended test before being allowed back on the road.
PC Pete Smith, from the Road Policing Unit, added: “This was a completely avoidable collision caused by excessive speed. Driving at such high speeds, particularly on rural roads with bends and changing limits, significantly increases the risk of serious injury or worse.
“Two people suffered life-changing injuries in this crash, but Loveridge chose the cowardly option of leaving fleeing than seeking help. We continue to urge all motorists to drive within the limits and take responsibility for their actions on the road.”