Norwich City midfielder and former Peterborough United player Flynn Clarke has been jailed for a year for causing injuries to six people in a head-on crash.
He was on his way to a rave and was driving a black BMW 218i along the westbound A47, near Thorney, at about 2.30pm on 30 April last year when his car crashed into a white Fiat Ducato Motorhome, close to The Causeway roundabout.
Nitrous oxide cannisters were found in Clarke’s BMW, a court heard, and nothing was found to be wrong with any of the vehicles involved or the road surface, with weather conditions favourable for driving.
A black Land Rover Defender, also travelling eastbound, ploughed into the back of the motorhome.
An independent witness said Clarke had been driving “erratically” before the crash, weaving in and out of lanes, with the BMW’s occupants looking distracted.
Clarke suffered minor injuries, along with two 19-year-old passengers, one male, one female. Two other 19-year-old men, who were seated in the back, suffered serious injuries.
The driver of the motorhome, a 59-year-old man, suffered serious injuries while his front-seat passenger, a 60-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the Discovery, a 49-year-old woman, and the front-seat passenger, a 51-year-old man, were both uninjured.
On Friday (15 September), at Peterborough Crown Court, Clarke, of Plumstead Road, Thorpe End, Norwich, was jailed for 12 months, having pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was also disqualified from driving for 30 months.
PC Alex Thomas, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “Clarke drove incredibly stupidly that day and caused an unnecessary crash that left six people with injuries, including four of his friends. The outcome could have been much worse.
“I hope he has learnt a lesson by seeing the consequences of driving so dangerously.”
Less than a fortnight ago Clarke, 20, joined Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club on a season long loan deal.
Dagenham and Redbridge FC website reported that Clarke joined the Peterborough United academy at the age of 9.
“The midfielder featured for a Posh XI in a pre-season friendly against Deeping Rangers in July 2019, before making the bench in EFL Cup ties against both Northampton Town and Arsenal U21s,” said the website announcing his move to the club.
Flynn made his first team debut in a 1-0 loss to Cheltenham Town in the first round of the EFL Cup in September 2020.
In his second appearance for Peterborough, an EFL Trophy tie against Burton Albion, he scored his first goal for the club.
His league debut came in Peterborough’s opening game against Accrington Stanley in September 2020.
He was selected for the Scotland under-19 squad in October 2020.
On 24 June 2021, Clarke signed for Norwich City for an undisclosed fee.
The club said Clarke had come to Dagenham to “develop his game, and he’s fitted in straight away, so we are delighted to have him on board with us”.
