Leo Michael George Critchley has been jailed for two years and 10 months after causing life-changing injuries to a teenage girl in a dangerous driving collision in Alton.
The 21-year-old from Babs Field, Bentley, Farnham, lost control of his vehicle whilst travelling at excessive speed, leaving his front-seat passenger with severe neurological damage.
Emergency services were alerted at 9.26pm on 14 November 2023 following a single-vehicle collision involving a grey Seat Ibiza on Froyle Road, Lower Froyle, Alton.
Both occupants required hospital treatment. The female passenger, aged 17 at the time of the incident, sustained life-altering neurological injuries and permanent visual impairment.
Winchester Crown Court heard on Friday 28 November that Critchley had pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Evidence presented to the court revealed he was travelling at 90mph on a 60mph road when his vehicle struck standing water, causing him to lose control.
Alongside his custodial sentence, Critchley received a driving ban lasting five years and five months.
The teenage victim’s Victim Personal Statement was read during proceedings. She stated: “I’m not normal because of him. I will never be normal. He needs to know how much I suffered and how much I’m suffering everyday. I lost everything.”
PC Kelly Hargreaves from the Roads Policing Unit commented: “Any sensible driver would know they need to adjust their speed to the conditions and that when the road is wet, they should drive slower than usual.
“The defendant did the complete opposite of this. He instead recklessly and dangerously sped along the wet road at high speeds with no regard for his own safety or the safety of his passenger.
“I hope this sentence sends a clear message: There is no excuse for speeding and when you are caught you will face severe consequences.”
