Caught on camera: Officer 'lucky to be alive' after drink driver ploughs into police van
A drink driver who lost control of his van and ploughed into a police officer has been jailed for more than two years.
CCTV of the crash shows Steven King smashing into the marked van on the A34 near the Six Ways Island in Aston just before midnight on April 26.
King, aged 28, was driving a Mercedes van ? without any headlights on ? when he careered over the central reservation into the oncoming traffic on the opposite carriageway - as the police van came out of a tunnel.
With no time to avoid the Mercedes, the police vehicle crashed head-on into the side of it, causing horrific injuries to an officer's right leg ? which he may never fully recover from.
King, who broke his back in several places, was taken to hospital where he was found to be heavily over the drink-drive limit. Police also found he was not insured to drive the vehicle, had no licence and had taken the vehicle without the owner's consent.
King, of Fallindale Road, Sheldon, was subsequently charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and aggravated vehicle taking.
He pleaded guilty to all the offences and on Monday he appeared before Birmingham Crown Court, where he was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
Sergeant Adrian Brown from the force's Traffic Unit said: "This was a horrendous collision, the impact of which caused catastrophic damage to both vehicles. As such, it is a miracle there were no fatalities that evening and the officer is lucky to be alive.
"King made a conscious decision to drink and drive that evening, with serious consequences. A CCTV trawl several miles before the collision shows him driving well over the speed limit, and he was travelling 60 miles per hour in a 40 zone at the point of impact.
"Drink driving, one of the significant factors in this collision, causes deaths and serious injuries on our roads. It is simply unacceptable for anyone to risk driving home while intoxicated and I hope the CCTV footage of this collision shows exactly why drivers need to seek alternative transport after they've had a drink.
"The police officer is now on a slow and painful return to work in a restricted role following surgery and many hours of physiotherapy. I would like to praise the driver of the police van at the time, who - despite suffering injuries himself and severe shock - was able to remain professional and co-ordinated the emergency service response.
"I would also like to thank the many witnesses at the scene that came forward to give evidence about King's driving, which has led to his conviction."
In a victim personal statement, the injured officer said: "Two days after the collision, I was taken to theatre where I remained for five hours while the doctors inserted a metal rod into my leg to repair the broken femur.
"Since the crash, I have had to have regular x-rays and while I can now put weight on the leg, it is still painful and allows only slow movement. I can walk without crutches but only for short periods and I still walk with a limp.
"Doctors say it usually takes four to six months for the femur to fully grow together but are in no position to say if I will fully recover. I just hope I can regain a full range of movement and return to a normal life, how it was before the crash."
