Justice for injured paramedic
Wednesday, 20 July, 2011
A New Addington man has been sentenced to 17 months in prison after admitting a string of driving offences that injured a London Ambulance Service paramedic.
David Sangster, who was on his way back to Croydon ambulance station, suffered a fractured shoulder and whiplash when Darren Henry crashed a stolen car into his fast response vehicle at 3am on 5 May.
"I saw a flash of lights and then started spinning round," David said.
"The air bags had covered the window and I couldn't open my door. I didn't know what had happened."
David's vehicle was hit in the side by Henry who was trying to escape the police, causing £5,808 worth of damage to the fast response vehicle. Despite his own injuries David said: "Once I'd climbed out of the passenger side of my vehicle the first thing I did was go and check on the other driver."
Henry of Cudham Drive was found guilty of aggravated vehicle taking, driving while over the legal limit, driving while disqualified, failing to stop and having no insurance.
Bearing in mind his previous motoring convictions, Judge Nicholas Ainsley said the prison sentence was inevitable.
David returned to work six weeks after the incident.
