Jail for driver who caused footballer leg amputation

A driver who caused a crash - resulting in a young footballer having his lower legs amputated - has been jailed.

Shaun Whiter, 27, was helping his friend Joey Abbs change a tyre when a Ford Focus struck their cars.

Mr Whiter, who played for Newmarket Town, had to have his lower legs amputated, while Mr Abbs also suffered a serious leg injury in the crash on 1 July in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Driver Jan Adamec, 40, has now been jailed for 40 months and handed a five-year driving ban at Cambridge Crown Court.

Last month, Adamec had pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The court heard how Adamec failed to stop or call emergency services following the incident, which left Mr Whiter crushed between two cars and Mr Abbs lying on the road.

Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Haworth described the defendant's actions as "callous in the extreme".

Eyewitness reported seeing Adamec, a Czech national with British citizenship, driving without headlights and veering across the road in the moments before the accident.

Judge Haworth told Adamec: "You were driving along that road in a manner that was patently dangerous. You were driving at high speed.

"You were driving, according to some witnesses, well in excess of 60 miles per hour".

Both victims were wearing high visibility vests when they were hit by the car.

The court heard Adamec also ignored a police appeal for information and attempted to flee from officers when they visited his address.

In a victim impact, Mr Whiter said he still suffered from "flashbacks and nightmares" following the crash.

Mr Whiter, who is due to marry his fiancee next year, said his "main aim is to be able to walk down the aisle" at his wedding.