Car passenger sentenced for causing serious collision near Chichester

Jake Sharpe was travelling in the rear seat of a car on the A259 near Bosham when the incident took place. Sussex Police said the 28-year-old pulled the car’s handbrake as it travelled 60mph down the busy road. The car – a silver Vauxhall – swerved into the oncoming carriageway as the driver lost control, and collided with a silver Hyundai car, leaving its front-seat passenger with life-threatening injuries.

The Hyundai driver was also hurt in the crash, and the passenger of the Vauxhall also suffered serious and potentially life changing injuries.

Sharpe, a member of the armed forces of Otway Road in Chichester, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on January 12. He admitted two counts of grievous bodily harm, and two counts of causing damage to a motor vehicle and one count of common assault. The incident took place on November 25 2022.

He could give no reason for his dangerous behaviour and was sentenced to 23 months in prison.

Speaking after the case, investigating officer PC Tom Van Der Wee of the Sussex Roads Policing Unit said: “Sharpe caused a devastating collision as a result of his inexplicable stupidity that day."

"He has shown no remorse or concern for those injured – a completely innocent elderly couple travelling in one vehicle and his two colleagues travelling in the vehicle he was in – one of which has had his career in the armed forces severely impacted due to the injury he sustained.”