Hit-and-run driver is sent to prison
AHIT- AND- RUN pick-up driver has been jailed after a crash left a motorist seriously injured.
Father-of-two James Leach, 29, who a court heard has previous convictions for leaving the scene of road traffic collisions, was overtaking a row of vehicles in front of him at speed when his orange Ford Ranger pickup hit a Volkswagen Caddy head-on.
A court heard the force of the impact sent debris flying out over 70 metres.
The Volkswagen driver, a 60-year-old man, told police there was ‘no time’ to avoid the collision. Leach was attempting to pass three vehicles at the time, a court heard.
The man suffered numerous broken bones and a punctured lung, but Leach drove away from the scene near Pontllyfni in Wales.
He was later arrested at a caravan park on the outskirts of Pwllheli.
Leach, of Oak Road in Chelford, near Macclesfield, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident.
He was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court for 16 months.
The crash happened at 5am on October 5.
Leach told police he had fallen asleep in a field and after waking 90 minutes later, saw no sign of the accident before catching a bus to Pwllheli then a taxi to the caravan where he was staying while renovating a house in Abersoch, report the Daily Post.
He said he had drunk just two pints the night before, claiming he was the designated driver on a visit to a Bangor nightclub, the court heard.
In a statement, the victim said the crash had caused ‘stress and anxiety’ for himself and his family.
He said he didn’t know if he would ever fully recover and couldn’t return to work.
Ryan Rothwell, prosecuting, said: “There was a high-speed impact. There was extensive damage with debris strewn for some 70 metres.
“Other motorists stopped and gave immediate first aid.”
Jailing Leach, Judge YOUNG nature-lovers got out and about to see the wild side of some of Cheshire’s top attractions.
Wildlife Explorers, who are junior members of Macclesfield’s RSPB, visited Jodrell Bank’s arboretum to clear overgrown shrubs and vegetation from the pond.
The gardens team had already done a lot of cutting but help was needed to tidy it up. Huw Rees hit out at a ‘very bad piece of driving’.
He said: “In my judgement this is so serious it is not possible to pass anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.”
Sgt Raymond Williams, of North Wales Police’s
At the end of the session the mud-covered team gathered at the Comet Lodge for well-earned refreshments.
And the group also had a family visit to Lyme Park, in Disley, to watch red deer there rut.
National Trust ranger Craig Oliver spoke about the history of Lyme Park, the deer herds on the site and the behaviour of red deer during the rut. roads policing unit, said: “It is only by sheer luck that this wasn’t a fatal road traffic collision. He did not stay and wait and did not speak to the other driver or even make any attempt to check on his welfare.”
Tina Hanak, from the Macclesfield RSPB, said: “The first views of the deer were accompanied by the eerie sounds of the stags bellowing. It was incredible to witness the stags chasing each other, gathering and protecting females from their rivals. We felt very privileged to be able to witness the iconic breeding behaviour of our largest land mammal at close hand.”