'Reckless' driver jailed after leaving four people in upended car lying on railway line

THIS is the aftermath of a horror crash which left four people in a car upside down that was lying "dangerously" on a railway line.

A car lying upside down on a railway lineSWNS

A horror car crash left a vehicle lying upside down on a railway line

Adam Hmimssa, 27, was jailed for two-and-a-half-years for a string of driving offences which police said could have caused a disaster if a train had been passing.

The four people inside the car survived but one passenger has been left dependant on medication for life, Guildford Crown Court was told.

The incident occurred after speeding Hmimssa lost control of his Vauxhall Astra as he turned off the southbound A22.

While he was trying to correct himself the car skidded onto railway tracks in Warlingham, Surrey.

A mugshot of Adam HmimssaSWNS

Adam Hmimssa, who was behind the wheel of the car, was jailed for a string of offences

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

Sergeant Eddie Ryan

The car careered onto a bank parallel to the railway line before it tumbled down to land on its roof on the tracks.

The roof of the vehicle caved in but Hmimssa and two of his passengers only suffered minor injuries. 

A third passenger was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, with injuries that will require life-long treatment.

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.

A Vauxhall Astra lying on railway tracksSWNS

Police said the incident could have been a tragedy if a train had been passing at the time

"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." 

Hmimssa, from Croydon in London, was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, endangering the safety of a person on a railway line and driving without insurance.

He was disqualified from driving for three years and will have to undertake an extended test to get his licence back.

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