Prolific dangerous driver who left man fighting for life before cowardly fleeing scene jailed

Kallum Flowers, 35, cowardly fled the scene and went on the run after the crash.

Flowers drove at speed down Packman Road, Rotherham in his white Ford Transit van on June 22.

He failed to stop at the red lights and collided with Joshua Lloyd who was driving a Seat Leon at the junction of Rotherham Road and Firth Road.

Flowers was driving at such speed that he forced the Seat 60 metres down Rotherham Road and into a stone wall.

The driver’s door was ripped off during the collision and Joshua was thrown out of the vehicle and onto the ground.

Joshua sustained critical injuries during the collision and is still receiving around-the-clock medical care and is unable to return home.

His family has asked for privacy while they continue to support Joshua.

Following the incident, Hannah Costello, 30, of Masefield Road in West Melton, assisted Flowers in fleeing the scene, picking him up in her black Peugeot 3008 so he could go on the run.

An investigation was immediately launched by the Serious Collisions Unit, supported by specialist resources from across the force, and a manhunt began.

Flowers actively avoided officers and went on the run for over four months.

While on the run, Flowers was involved in a fail to stop pursuit with West Yorkshire Police, during which he collided with a woman in South Kirby, leaving her with serious injuries.

On November 2, Flowers was arrested by officers at an address in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield and charged with causing serious injuries by dangerous driving, failing to stop and failing to report.

Serious Collisions Unit Sergeant John Taylor said: “Flowers’ actions that evening were appalling and extremely reckless. He knowingly and willingly chose to drive through a red light and showed absolutely no regard for the law or other road users.

“Sadly, an innocent member of the community was caught in the crossfire of his actions. Joshua sustained significant life changing injuries during the collision and our thoughts remain very much with him and his family today. It has been a very difficult period of time for them as their lives have been changed forever by this incident.

“I am pleased that Flowers is now behind bars where he can cause no further harm to our communities. We will not tolerate drivers who deliberately ignore the rules of the road and put innocent people at risk.”

Flowers pleaded guilty to all three offences at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced for these offences, as well as further charges related to the incident in West Yorkshire.

Flowers, of Masefield Road, West Melton, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on June 28 to face the consequences of his actions.

He was handed an six years and six month custodial sentence at Sheffield Crown Court and disqualified from driving for eight years and three months.

Costello was charged with dangerous driving and assisting an offender in connection with the incident.

She was sentenced to two years and three months, suspended for two years, 150 hours unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 12 months.