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Motorcyclist had arm and leg amputated following crash with ‘reckless’ van driver

A motorcyclist had to have an arm and a leg amputated after being hit by a van driver in a ‘horrific’ road crash in Nottinghamshire.

Jack Searson was driving his van to work along the A608 Alfreton Road in Underwood when he crashed into the 40-year-old motorcycle rider.

Searson was on the wrong side of the road before he attempted to turn right into Mansfield Road and failed to notice the approaching motorcyclist, who was not speeding, had his lights on and was wearing a high-visibility jacket.

The collision, on the morning of December 14 2023, resulted in the motorcyclist having to have his right arm and leg amputated in hospital, where doctors also diagnosed a bleed on his brain.

Searson was given a suspended sentence for causing the crash when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday (March 26).

In a statement submitted to the court, the victim of the collision said the incident had “ruined my life” adding he was “constantly in a state of worry about my future”.

Prosecutors at court said he remains in “constant pain” to this day, and after spending many months in hospital, he is still unable to work.

Searson, 27, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The judge concluded that the custodial sentence would be suspended, as Searson had no previous convictions and was “not a criminal in the conventional sense of the word”.

Searson was jailed for 18 months, suspended for 21 months, and disqualified from driving for three years. He must take an extended driving test before he can gain his license back after the ban.

He also has been ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £750 in court costs.

While passing the sentence, Judge James Sampson told Searson: “This is a tragic case. Nothing the court can do or say can possibly compensate for the devastating, life-changing injuries that the victim received because of your reckless behaviour.

“(The motorcyclist) had been wearing a high-visibility jacket, the road conditions were good and he was on the correct side of the road – you were not.

“I accept that from the moment of the collision you have been genuinely remorseful and you will carry feelings of guilt and shame for the rest of your life. But none of that can possibly equate to the burden the victim will carry throughout the rest of his life.”

Following the sentencing, Collision Investigator Sergeant Mark Baker, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “It’s the responsibility of every driver to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users. 

“In this instance, Searson was on the wrong side of the road before he attempted to turn right without paying enough attention to oncoming traffic. The result was a horrific collision that left an innocent motorcyclist with catastrophic injuries.

“As this case demonstrates, a dangerous manoeuvre on the roads really can have dreadful consequences.

“Hopefully these court proceedings will encourage others to take care on the roads at all times, to avoid devastating incidents such as this from happening.”