Army Engineer Suffers Life-Long Injuries After Horrific Car Crash

A young army engineer's military career has been left in tatters after he suffered life-changing injuries in a horror head-on crash.

Jack Childs Watson, 20, was left with fractures to his eye sockets, cheekbones and leg, a ruptured spleen and lacerated liver when two cars crashed into his vehicle as they tried to overtake a lorry and a coach.

He also suffered a complete loss of sight in his left eye.

He is now to be medically discharged from the Army as a result.

Jack was a front seat passenger in a friend’s Honda Civic, when without warning the drivers of a Volvo S60 and a Ford Fiesta pulled out to overtake a coach and lorry as they approached the brow of a hill.

The Volvo driver pleaded guilty to four counts of dangerous driving occasioning serious injury.

He was sentenced to two years in prison.

The man driving the Fiesta was jailed for ten months after admitting dangerous driving.

Jack, from West Haddon, Northants, said:

"It was always my dream from being a child to join the Army and travel the world.

"The fact that it is likely I will have to be medically discharged from The Army has been really difficult to come terms with. “A bad decision taken by others in a split-second has turned my life upside down.

"I like to be active and being in The Army was a dream come true for me but it is like someone has pressed the stop button now and I am trying to come to terms with what happened.

"Unfortunately I know all too well the devastating impact that dangerous driving can have on people.

"My dreams and aspirations for a career in The Army will never be realised because of this."

Following the crash on the A423 on November 25, 2016, Jack spent two weeks in intensive care.

He underwent surgery to fix his right eye socket, as well as surgery on both cheekbones, his wrist and a fracture to his left foot.

He has been warned by medical staff that there is an increased risk to his vision in his right eye, and it's likely he will need further surgical procedures to help his recovery.

Jack, who signed up to become a vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in January 2016, said:

"The whole experience has been a nightmare.

"My life has been changed forever because of the reckless actions of other motorists.

"I hope my accident and experience will highlight the need for concentration and safety on the road.

However, I’m determined to try and not dwell on the past though and I am looking forward and focusing fully on my rehabilitation.”

Jack has instructed expert serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his accident.

He hopes to secure funds to help with his recovery and rehabilitation.

Solicitor Georgina Moorhead said:

"This incident highlights the tragic and devastating consequences a lack of concentration, attention and thought for other road users behind the wheel can have.

"Due to the actions of these men, a young man has been permanently and very seriously injured and will need significant rehabilitation to regain some form of independence.

"We will continue working with Jack and his family to help him secure the necessary funds to help to maximise his long term recovery."