Man jailed after fleeing from high-speed crash that left two people with severe injuries in Wolverhampton
Juraj Kozar fled after crashing a car on Goldthorn Hill in Wolverhampton in February.
A man has been jailed after fleeing the scene of a Wolverhampton collision leaving two people seriously injured.
Juraj Kozar drove a blue Suzuki SX4 at a speed in excess of 93 miles per hour in a 30mph zone on Goldthorn Hill on the evening of 16 February, and crashed into a VW Polo.
Although injured himself, Kozar fled the scene leaving his 17-year-old passenger with severe injuries.
A woman in her 60s from the other car was also critically injured and underwent life-saving surgery in hospital. Both victims’ injuries have had life-changing implications and they are continuing lengthy recoveries.
An alert was put out for Kozar’s arrest and just two days later he was located aboard a ferry from Folkestone. The ferry had already sailed, but returned to port for the 29-year-old to be taken into custody.
Kozar, of Warsash Close, admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop after a collision and driving without a licence or insurance at an earlier hearing and was sentenced on Friday (17 May) at Birmingham Crown Court to four years in prison and disqualified from driving for seven years.
He will be required to sit an extended retest before being able to get behind the wheel again.
PC Gail Arnold, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at West Midlands Police, said: “Kozar’s actions that night have had life-changing consequences, not only to those injured but their loved ones.
“The family of the driver of the other vehicle was told that she suffered injuries that she should not have survived. She spent two weeks sedated to give her body time to adjust to the shock and trauma her body had experienced.
“Kozar’s passenger also had life-saving surgery and has spent many weeks in hospital.
“I hope Kozar’s time in prison gives him chance to reflect on his selfish actions, and how a moment of speed exhilaration can have such devastating consequences.”