Driver who caused pile-up on B1248 near Malton jailed

A driver who caused three other motorists devastating injuries in a crash as he tried to overtake a motorbike on a country road has been jailed.

Peter Buttery, 64, from Goole, was in a line of traffic on the B1248, near Malton, North Yorkshire, when he tried to pass a Ural motorcycle near a bend.

As he did so, a Mazda MX5, travelling in the opposite direction, collided with Buttery's Fiat and the motorcycle, causing huge damage.

The biker, a man in his 60s, suffered life-threatening injuries including broken vertebrae, broken ribs, a broken wrist, a punctured lung and other internal injuries.

Two people in the Mazda MX5 suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, facial scarring and nerve damage.

Following the incident, which happened on the afternoon of 6 August 2021, Buttery was charged with three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was found guilty following a trial at Hull Crown Court and was jailed for three years and 10 months.

In a statement given to the court, the injured motorcyclist said: “The collision forever will have a profound effect on me, physically and mentally.”

He described not being able to walk more than 200 yards without the use of a walking stick, bend over, have a bath, or get an uninterrupted night’s sleep.

He added: “One thing that I still struggle with is that I can never canoe, sail, go camping, backpacking or hiking ever again. It really hurts to know this. I am trying my hardest to have some sort of normal life, but it’s hard.”

Traffic officer Joseph Schramm, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The evidence showed that Buttery was on the wrong side of the road leading up to the collision, conducting an overtake in a dangerous location.

"Despite this, when interviewed he tried to blame one of the victims for the collision, took no responsibility himself, and showed no remorse throughout the trial. It is right that he has now been held to account for his actions."

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