A driver who tore along a rural road at 91mph before smashing into an oncoming car and leaving two people with life-changing injuries has been jailed. Levi Loveridge, 32, of Whittlesey Road, March, fled the scene after the devastating collision in North Bank, Thorney, at about 12.45am on 29 June last year.
Loveridge was behind the wheel of a black Volvo V40 travelling east on a 60mph stretch beside the River Nene near the junction with the B1040 North Side when he crashed head-on into a Toyota Yaris.
The force of the impact sent the Volvo down an embankment while the Toyota was thrown backwards onto a verge.
Despite the catastrophic collision, Loveridge ran from the scene, abandoning the driver and passenger in the Toyota with serious injuries.
The driver suffered a shattered thigh bone and required surgery, while the passenger was treated for a fractured back and hip injuries.
Police were unable to trace Loveridge for five days before officers returned to his home and found him limping and wearing a medical boot.
Collision investigators later revealed the Volvo had been travelling at about 91mph just five seconds before impact and around 79mph at the moment of the crash. The Toyota had been travelling at about 20mph.
During police interview, Loveridge admitted he had been driving but claimed he remembered little about the incident and believed he had hit his head during 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 banned from driving for three years and must pass an extended driving test before being allowed back behind the wheel.
PC Pete Smith, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “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.”
