US driver in extradition fight over UK crash

THE father of a US citizen who fled the UK following a car crash that left a nurse with two broken ankles has set up a fundraiser after the FBI contacted him to discuss extradition.

Issac Calderon was charged with dangerous driving following the collision in July, which resulted in 56-yearold Elizabeth Donowho being unable to walk for six weeks.

Mr Calderon was due to appear at Kidderminster magistrates’ court on Dec 1 in connection with the incident near Shucknall, Herefordshire.

However, the 22-year-old, described as a flight risk by detectives, failed to turn up and West Mercia Police later said he had boarded a commercial flight to Houston, Texas, on Nov 25.

A fundraiser has since been set up on the crowdfunding site Gofundme by the suspect’s father, Manuel Calderon, in which the family are asking for $15,000 (£11,750) to help with legal fees.

Mr Calderon’s father said the suspect was able to return to the US because “the company that contracted him purchased him a ticket”. He said his son, whom he called “Isac”, had been offered a contract job in the UK “due to his security clearance with the Texas National Guard”.

West Mercia Police previously told

Ms Donowho that Mr Calderon had been carrying out work “associated with the secret service” and working on matters “that might come under the Official Secrets Act”.

Ms Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, suffered multiple fractures in the crash – including both ankles, her sternum and right hand.

She said she was told in the aftermath of the crash that because the driver was from the US “he was a flight risk and they were working much more quickly than usual” to get him to court.

Police told her “the extradition process” has begun and it is understood that there are no issues surrounding diplomatic immunity.

Mr Calderon’s father said: “Missing his court date… the situation has spiralled from a car accident to my son being a government asset and being removed from the UK under diplomatic immunity, neither of which are true.

“Due to this, his case is being compared to other cases where Americans have been saved by diplomatic immunity which my son is not privy to.”

It has been claimed the case bears similarities to that of Anne Sacoolas, who was able to leave the UK as a result of her diplomatic immunity after killing teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn in August 2019 while driving on the wrong side of the road.

‘His case is being compared to other cases where Americans have been saved by immunity’