Shrewsbury danger driver smashed stolen van into police car one year after crashing into lorry
A dangerous driver who smashed into a lorry and ended up in a wheelchair failed to learn his lesson - crashing a stolen van into a police car just over a year later.
Cocaine and cannabis addict Michael Wilkinson, who was already banned from driving, first crashed a Citroen C4 into an HGV when making a "highly dangerous" overtaking manoeuvre on the A488 towards Hanwood, near Shrewsbury.
Victims of Wilkinson's recklessness told Shrewsbury Crown Court through their statements of the "horrible day" he caused the smash in a car he took without the owner's permission.
A woman who was Wilkinson's passenger sustained serious leg injuries, while the lorry driver suffered damage to his knee and had to have post-traumatic stress therapy after the crash on August 16, 2021.
Wilkinson himself spent four months in hospital and a year in a wheelchair. But it was not enough for the 45-year-old to learn from his mistake.
On September 29 last year, Wilkinson was in Montford Bridge, driving a Ford Transit which had been stolen from the Shawbury area. Police chased Wilkinson on the A49 and country roads. Their dash cam footage showed he ran a red light and drove at 75mph in a 30mph residential zone.
A collision took place between the van and police car, and Wilkinson ran off into a nearby field. He was soon arrested by an officer.
A drug test found he had 391 microgrammes of benzolecgonine, a cocaine by-product, per litre of blood - more than seven times the legal limit of 50mcg when the possibility of accidental exposure is taken into account.
When he was interviewed about the first crash on December 30, 2021 - four-and-a-half months after it happened, Wilkinson said he could not remember anything of the incident.
The court was told Wilkinson's passenger in the crash near Hanwood suffered "really serious and long-term harm". She had multiple injuries to her leg and had to have a second operation when the first didn't work.
Her mobility was restricted for a long time. She also had a bad injury to her arm and other injuries that have affected her, as well as the psychological impact.
A victim impact statement from the lorry driver said he "couldn't stop thinking" about the accident and had to have eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy - a treatment to address post-traumatic stress. As well as his knee injury, he suffered a bulging disc in his back.
Wilkinson, of The Crescent, Montford Bridge, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, two counts of driving while disqualified, two counts of driving without insurance, drug driving, possession of cocaine and taking a vehicle without the owner's consent. He has 37 previous convictions for sex, drugs, theft, public disorder and motoring offences.
Debra White, mitigating, said Wilkinson was dependant on cocaine and cannabis, and substance misuse was a "trigger" for his behaviour. She said he is "severely sorry for the consequences of his actions".
Judge Peter Barrie jailed Wilkinson for four years and two months.
Referring to the first crash, he told Wilkinson, who was listening to proceedings via a video link from prison: "You were approaching Hanwood in a 30mph limit. You drove fast and attempted a highly dangerous overtake.
"She [his passenger] explained how it continues to have a significant impact in her life."
The judge said the lorry driver's injuries seemed "not nearly as serious" as Wilkinson's other victim, but added he had been caused "lasting problems".
"Your record of previous convictions includes a number of motoring offences," he added. "I know you suffered serious injuries from the accident and you have had your own mental health problems."
On the Montford Bridge incident, the judge said: "You took the vehicle and you drove it dangerously.
The judge described it as a "sustained pursuit" from the police with Wilkinson driving at "very high speed", notably 75mph in a 30mph zone. "Your driving was impaired by drugs," said the judge.
Wilkinson is expected to serve half of his jail term behind bars and the rest out on licence. He was also banned from driving for five years and one month.
Judge Barrie also made Wilkinson subject of a restraining order, banning him from contacting his passenger in the Hanwood crash. That came after he made an attempt to add her as a friend on Facebook. The judge said it was "no surprise she wants nothing more to do with" Wilkinson after what happened.