A van driver left a motorcyclist with catastrophic injuries after his “reckless” manoeuvre caused a devastating crash at a busy junction.
Jake Searson was travelling to work along the A608 Alfreton Road in Underwood when he crashed into a 40-year-old rider.
A court heard Searson was on the wrong side of the road before he attempted to turn right into Mansfield Road and failed to notice the approaching motorcyclist, who was not speeding, had his lights on and was wearing a high-visibility jacket.
The collision, on 14 December 2023, left the motorcyclist with severe injuries that will impact the rest of his life.
His right arm and leg had to be amputated and doctors diagnosed a bleed on his brain. Prosecutors at Nottingham Crown Court said he remains in “constant pain” to this day as a result of his injuries and that he required 24-7 care.
On Wednesday (26 March), the court was shown CCTV footage of the collision, with the prosecution describing Searson’s driving in that moment as “reckless”. Emergency services arrived shortly after with Season pleading with medics: “You’ve got to save him, please don’t let him die”.
The court heard the victim spent many months in hospital and he can no longer work.
In a statement submitted to the court, the victim said the collision had “ruined my life” and that he was “constantly in a state of worry about my future”.
Searson, 27, of Main Road, Jacksdale, went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and had been warned he could face an immediate prison sentence.
However a judge concluded that the custodial sentence could be suspended as Searson had no previous convictions and was “not a criminal in the conventional sense of the word”.
He was jailed for 18 months, suspended for 21 months. As punishment, he was disqualified from driving for three years and must take an extended driving test before he can return to the roads.
Searson was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £750 in court costs.
In passing sentence, Judge James Sampson told Searson:
“This is a tragic case. Nothing the court can do or say can possibly compensate for the devastating, life changing injuries that the victim received because of your reckless behaviour.
“(The motorcyclist) had been wearing a high-visibility jacket, the road conditions were good and he was on the correct side of the road – you were not.
“I accept that from the moment of the collision you have been genuinely remorseful and you will carry feelings of guilt and shame for the rest of your life. But none of that can possibly equate to the burden the victim will carry throughout the rest of his life.”
Following the sentencing, Collision Investigator Sergeant Mark Baker, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:
“It’s the responsibility of every driver to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users.
“In this instance, Searson was on the wrong side of the road before he attempted to turn right without paying enough attention to oncoming traffic. The result was a horrific collision that left an innocent motorcyclist with catastrophic injuries.
“As this case demonstrates, a dangerous manoeuvre on the roads really can have dreadful consequences.
“Hopefully these court proceedings will encourage others to take care on the roads at all times, to avoid devastating incidents such as this from happening.”
