AN ARROGANT car salesman who caused another motorist to lose their leg in a head-on crash has been jailed.

Kevin Zhou escaped the wreckage of his mangled red Jaguar without injury and fled after crashing on the A259 near Bognor in August 2017.

In the early hours of the morning he had veered into the path of a Mitsubishi being driven by Rusty Brown, who suffered life changing injuries and had to be cut free from his stricken vehicle by firefighters.

The 45-year-old needed 40 hours of surgery and was in hospital for three weeks. He lost a stone in weight.

Mr Brown said: “Prior to the collision, I had not even suffered a broken bone. I now have a metal pin in my thigh, a below-knee amputation and numerous scars from the surgery, including a failed skin and muscle graft which was the worst three days of my life.

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“I am still undergoing treatment, and will be for the rest of my life in one form or another. It has also severely affected my partner, and in short we have been punished for life, through no fault of our own.”

Police were able to recover Zhou’s DNA from blood on the seat belt, but could not find him at his home address.

So they went to his now former place of work at Harwoods, where managers had already warned him about his bad driving.

He was one of two drivers who had access to the vehicle, but told bosses the car had been stolen from his home.

Police said he had made no report of burglary or theft, and could link him to the crash scene.

The 29-year-old from Summerly Lane in Bognor admitted dangerous driving failing to stop at the scene of a crash, failing to report the crash, and failing to hand over information about the identity of the driver.

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He was sent to prison for three years at Portsmouth Crown Court.

After the sentence Mr Brown praised the emergency services and investigating officers including PC Ben Harwood.

He said: “Obviously the injuries I received have had a massive detrimental effect on my health and wellbeing, and have also affected those close to me. But Zhou has also ruined his own life, as well as those who care for him, all for one stupid decision.

“The fact he drove dangerously, causing me life-changing injuries, was horrific, but there was no changing that once it happened.

“He fled from the scene, actively trying to hide from the authorities and not knowing the outcome of my injuries. He also showed a complete lack of remorse, which I believe shows his true cowardly and selfish nature.”

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PC Ben Henwood, of the Arundel Roads Policing Unit, said: “On the day of the collision, Zhou was warned about his manner of driving by his former employer at Harwoods.

“However, he continued to drive in such a dangerous manner that now Rusty’s life has been changed.

“He arrogantly turned up at work with no concern or worry about what had just happened.

“His actions left a man fighting for his life in his vehicle in a ditch, and wondering what happened for his life to change.”