Drunk road safety driver jailed over police crash in Maidenhead

Hayden Brown was found guilty of three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving

A road safety technician has been jailed after he crashed a car into two police officers while over the legal alcohol limit and high on cocaine.

Hayden Brown, 25, was sentenced to five years for after PC Thomas Dorman and PC Wai-man Lam were "thrown into the air like ragdolls" when he drove into them.

The crash in Maidenhead led to PC Dorman needing his leg amputated.

Judge Sarah Campbell said he had driven in a "shockingly dangerous manner" and described it as a "near-death case".

The Ford Focus crashed into the officers before hitting a taxi and a police car

Reading Crown Court heard Brown crashed a Ford Focus into the officers in Norden Road, Maidenhead, in September 2018.

Michael Roques, prosecuting, said Brown, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, had been driving a group of people back to a party after buying alcohol and balloons for nitrous oxide.

He said the defendant lost control of the vehicle which "slid straight into the two police officers".

The car then hit a taxi, before spinning into a police car.

PC Dorman, who is from Banbury, Oxfordshire, lost his leg after doctors were unable to save it during surgery.

In a victim impact statement read in court, the police officer said: "It's unclear if I ever will go back to frontline policing and doing what I love."

PC Thomas Dorman had to have his leg amputated following the crash

PC Lam suffered leg wounds and has been unable to return to frontline duties at Thames Valley Police after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The crash also flung out passenger Annie Butt out of the Ford and pinned her underneath it. She suffered 24 broken bones in the crash.

Racing enthusiast Brown ran away from the scene and was found hiding in a bush.

During a week-long trial he denied three charges and said Ms Butt had been driving at the time of the crash.

Brown, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, was convicted of three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Judge Campbell said: "This case demonstrates the dangers the police face and the shocking consequences of taking to the wheel drinking alcohol and while under the influence of drugs.

"It seems to me you turned a public road into one of the race car tracks you so enjoy."