Driver jailed for crash on wrong side of road in Leicestershire

Google A426 Rugby Road near CotesbachGoogle
Leicestershire Police said the crash happened on the A426 Rugby Road near Cotesbach

A delivery driver has been jailed for causing a head-on crash by driving on the wrong side of the road.

Constantin Muscalu's van collided with a lorry on the A426 Rugby Road near Cotesbach on 20 March 2020, Leicestershire Police said.

Both men were injured and needed weeks of hospital treatment, the force added.

Muscalu, 27, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Leicester Crown Court and was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

He was also banned from driving for two years and 10 months.

Police said an investigation into the crash found Muscalu - a Romanian national - had been travelling south on the northbound carriageway.

The force said he had not taken any form of evasive action to avoid the oncoming lorry, driven by a man in his 40s.

Det Sgt Paul Hawkins, from Leicestershire Police, said Muscalu's actions could have had far more devastating consequences.

"I don't know whether it was a momentary lapse in concentration, but he will be well aware that in the UK, we drive on the left-hand side of the road and there was ample road signage to highlight this.

"The injuries suffered by the other driver have had a significant impact on his life," he said.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].