Drunk cage fighter jailed over Leeds bus crash carnage

Bus driver June Place was among six people seriously

injured after the VW Golf 31-year-old Adrian Duchniak was driving hit the single decker on Doncaster Road at Crofton, Wakefield,

Leeds Crown Court heard the Golf was on the wrong side of the road and the car’s speedomoter was stuck at 84mph when the crash happened at 2pm on Friday November 9 2012.

Prosecutor, Jason Pitter said witnesses described the crash as sounding ”like a bomb going off.”

Polish national Duchniak, a learner driver of Warren Avenue, Wakefield, was more than twice the drink drive limit and had taken ketamine and ecstacy. He was seriously injured and spent two months in hospital.

Before the crash the Golf had struck three cars during a 1.7mile journey when Duchniak ran through a red light and mounted pavements.

Bus driver June Place suffered five rib fractures, a broken shoulder, wrist and leg and spent weeks in hospital. Some of the other 11 passengers on board also suffered less serious injuries.

Duchniak’s passengers Mateuzs Pietzak and Artur Baraszewski suffered life threatening injuries including skull fractures.

Duchniak had been in training for a cage fighting bout, but started drinking the day before the crash after the fight was cancelled.

Mitigating, Chris Swistak said Duchniak was deeply ashamed and appreciated his driving was inexcusable but now had no recollection of events.

Jailing Duchniak for three-years-and four-months, and banning bhim from driving for five years, Judge James Spencer QC said: “The collision was dreadful, the injuries sustained by those people, your passengers and the driver of the bus were horrific.”

Duchniak admitted dangerous driving, three charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm – to his passengers and the bus – and drinking and driving.