US man to be extradited over UK driving charges

Elizabeth Donowho, a mental health nurse, suffered multiple fractures in the crash, last July

A US citizen has been told he will be extradited to face courts in the UK after he lost an appeal in court in the US.

Isac Calderon was charged by police in the UK with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, following a car crash in Herefordshire which left mental health nurse Elizabeth Donowho seriously injured.

He left the UK on a commercial flight to Texas in November 2023 and failed to attend a UK court hearing the following month. Court documents allege he had been seen overtaking vehicles at high speed before the crash.

Ms Donowho, 56, from Malvern, Worcestershire, said she was left unable to walk for six weeks after the crash on the A4103 near Shucknall in July 2023.

On Monday, Mr Calderon was told he was extraditable to the United Kingdom in a ruling by United States magistrate judge Peter Bray.

The judgement read: “It is hereby ordered that Isac Alejandro Calderon is committed to the custody of the United States Marshal, or his authorized representative, to be confined in an appropriate facility and to remain until he is surrendered to the United Kingdom pursuant to applicable provisions of the treaty and United States law.”

Court documents from the US said Mr Calderon had argued he missed his UK court date due to a lack of funds which would enable him to stay in the UK.

The documents allege he was seen "dangerously overtaking several vehicles at high speed before crossing the solid white lines marking a no passing zone," resulting in a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by Ms Donowho.

The court report stated Mr Calderon had told authorities in the UK that he would not be leaving the country until March 2024, but in fact he left the country on 25 November 2023.

The US magistrate judge concluded he was a flight risk, and stated: "He was told that he would be charged with a crime in the UK and left the country before his court date."

Because his conduct would be punishable by more than a year in jail, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, it is considered an extraditable offence.

The court added that it found "probable cause" that Mr Calderon committed the offences for which extradition was sought. This is a requirement for extradition but the court is not required to show guilt.

This is a lower threshold than the usual criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt in order to secure a conviction, however.

The US court concluded there was “virtually no possibility that Calderon will appear in court in the UK of his own,” adding that he hoped there was a means by which the US government would transport him free of charge.

It is unclear when Mr Calderon will be extradited, and neither the UK Home Office or US Justice Department would comment on the matter.

A Home Office spokesperson said it was longstanding government policy that it does not comment on individual cases.

A Justice Department spokesperson said: “As a matter of long-standing policy, for safety and security concerns of the escorting law enforcement officers, the Justice Department doesn’t comment on the timing of potential extradition surrenders.”

West Mercia Police said the force would not comment while court proceedings are ongoing.