Man jailed after fleeing high speed collision

Juraj Kozar was sentenced to four years in prison

A man who fled the scene of a collision which left two people with life-changing injuries has been jailed.

Juraj Kozar drove in excess of 93 miles per hour in a 30mph zone on Goldthorn Hill in Wolverhampton on the evening of 16 February.

Kozar, 29, of Warsash Close in Wolverhampton, crashed into another car and fled the scene, despite being injured himself.

He left his 17-year-old passenger behind with severe injuries, and a woman from the other car, who was in her 60s, was 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 two days later he was located aboard a ferry from Folkestone.

The ferry had already sailed, but returned to port for Kozar to be taken into custody.

He 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.

He was sentenced on Friday at Birmingham Crown Court to four years in prison and disqualified from driving for seven years.

Kozar will be required to sit an extended retest before being able to get behind the wheel again.

PC Gail Arnold, from West Midlands Police's serious collision investigation unit, 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."

Ms Arnold said Kozar’s passenger also had life-saving surgery and had spent many weeks in hospital.

She added: "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."