A “reckless” driver who flipped his car over onto train tracks and seriously injured one of his passengers has been jailed.
Adam Hmimssa, of Vincent Road, Croydon, lost control of his black Vauxhall Astra when he approached a level crossing on the A22, in Warlingham, at around 4.40am on November 9, 2013.
The car left the road and careered up a steep bank before overturning onto a railway line close to Whyteleafe South train station.
A spokesman for Surrey Police said it was “fortunate” the accident did not happen when a train was travelling along the tracks.
Hmimssa and two other passengers in the vehicle suffered minor injuries after the collision.
A third passenger was seriously injured and needed treatment at St George’s Hospital, Tooting.
Hmimssa, who was also driving with no insurance, denied causing death by dangerous driving but was found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court.
He was jailed for 30 months and banned from driving for three years. The 27-year-old will have to take an extended driving test before he will be allowed to get his licence back.
Sergeant Eddie Ryan, from Surrey Police’s Collision Investigation Unit, said: “I welcome the lengthy custodial sentence for Hmimssa which clearly reflects the reckless and highly dangerous nature of his driving on the night of the incident.
“As a result of the collision one of the passengers in the vehicle suffered serious injuries which have left him dependant on medication for the rest of his life.”
“The fact that the car came to a stop on the railway lines demonstrates how easily this incident could have had an even more tragic outcome and it is fortunate that the collision took place at a time of day when trains were not using the railway line.”
