A 'dangerous' driver who reached speeds of 91mph just before a devastating collision has been jailed for two years. Levi Loveridge, 32, was driving a black Volvo V40 on North Bank in Thorney when he ploughed into an oncoming Toyota Yaris at around 79mph, leaving two people with life-changing injuries.
The crash occurred at approximately 12:45am on June 29 last year. Collision investigators determined that the Volvo was traveling at about 91mph five seconds before impact and around 79mph at the moment of the crash. The Toyota was moving at about 20mph. The force of the collision sent the Volvo careening off the road and down an embankment, while the Toyota was forced backwards onto a verge.
Following the crash, Loveridge fled the scene, an act described by police as 'the cowardly option'. He left the driver and passenger of the Toyota with serious injuries. The driver required surgery for a shattered thigh bone, while the passenger suffered a fractured back and hip injuries.
It took police five days to locate Loveridge. When they found him, he was limping and wearing a medical boot. He admitted to being the driver but claimed to have little memory of the incident, suggesting he might have hit his head in the collision.
Loveridge, of Whittlesey Road, March, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. On Tuesday, May 12, at Cambridge Crown Court, he was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and must pass an extended driving test before being allowed back on the road.
PC Pete Smith, from Cambridgeshire Constabulary's 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 fleeing rather than seeking help. We continue to urge all motorists to drive within the limits and take responsibility for their actions on the road.'
