'Lunacy': Dangerous Shrewsbury driver caused serious injury ploughing head-on into car at roundabout

Daniel Lukasek, 26, of Belle Vue Road, was said to have crossed onto the opposite carriageway up to 10 times in the minutes before the crash on the A53 at Hodnet on September 1 last year.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how Lukasek eventually pulled out to overtake a Luton van on the approach to a roundabout, ploughing headfirst into an oncoming Jaguar, which had just left the roundabout. The driver of the car, Ian Bruton, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Judge Peter Barrie said that 20 years ago people would have died in the collision and it was a testament to modern engineering that no one had been killed.

Antonie Muller, prosecuting, read statements from witnesses who described Lukasek’s driving as “totally reckless, bordering on lunacy”.

He said: “Nobody knows why this defendant was driving so aggressively on September 1, 2016, because he professes not to remember. But Neil Carter was behind the defendant as he was driving on the road and watched the defendant travel very close to the rear of a Luton van, which was travelling between 45 and 55mph, when there was a limited view because of the proximity of the van and the nature of the road.

“The defendant was pulling out to overtake the Luton van, sometimes entirely into the opposite carriageway and yet not doing so on several occasions.”

“Mr Carter said 'He is going to kill himself”.

“As the van slowed for the hazard of Hodnet roundabout the defendant pulled out for the last time and collided head on with Mr Bruton’s Jaguar.”

Me Muller added: “About ten times the defendant would pull onto the opposing carriageway and would stay there.”

One witness was said to have described the driving as “silly and dangerous” while another said Lukasek was “erratic, stupid, and pushing his vehicle to the limit”.

Mr Bruton suffered an undisplaced fracture of the sternum in the crash, as well as bruising to his legs.

He needed to take 10 weeks off work following the crash to recover.

Paul Smith, mitigating for Lukasek, said his client had pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at the first opportunity and could not think of any reason why he drove in the manner he did.

He said: “He knows he is lucky not just not to have killed anyone but lucky not to have killed himself as well.”

Mr Smith added that Lukasek is “deeply sorry for the damage he has caused”.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Barrie said: “It is clear you approached the scene where this final accident happened driving aggressively, trying to overtake, persistently going onto the wrong side of the road to see if it was clear and then going back.”

He added: “It was bad driving causing a risk to other people and it is unacceptable that you drove like that.”

Lukasek was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months. He was disqualified from driving for two years and will have to take an extended test to regain his licence.

He must carry out 20 days of rehabilitation and 19 days of a thinking skills programme. He must also complete 150 hours of work in the community and pay costs of £250.