Jail for Amazon van thief who left driver with brain injury
An Amazon delivery driver was left with a traumatic brain injury after he tried to stop a thief stealing his van by clinging onto the bonnet, only to be hit by a lorry when he was thrown off.
Jarren Reid, 33, has now been jailed for 13 and a half years after he stole the vehicle and injured its driver in November 2018.
Reid was the passenger in a Mercedes car which was seen following the Amazon van in Coventry.
When the van pulled up to make a delivery, Reid jumped in and attempted to drive off.
According to West Midlands police, the van driver tried to make him stop by jumping onto the bonnet, with Reid driving from side to side and slamming the brakes to try and shake him off.
Reid continued to drive dangerously for several minutes before the van driver was thrown off, suffering serious injuries when he was hit by a lorry.
The van was later recovered burnt out near to the defendant’s home address.
The incident left the owner of the van with lasting issues relating to movement and balance and requiring complex surgery.
Reid evaded police for nearly four years and following his arrest, answered no comment to all questions in interview, but was later charged with both the theft of the van and wounding of the driver.
DC Keith Clarkson, from Coventry FCID, said: “This was a calculated theft which left the victim with lasting injuries requiring life-saving surgery.
“This conviction comes as a result of some excellent work from officers investigating, as well as the testimonies of the witnesses who saw what happened.”
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