Drug driver jailed after causing life-changing injuries

A man has been jailed today (Friday 20 March) for 38 months after a collision in Worcester last month which left a woman with life-changing injuries.

Stanislav Atanasov, of no fixed abode, was almost three times over the legal limit of cocaine* and had no insurance when he caused a serious collision on 14 February.

The 39-year-old was travelling at speed on Pershore Lane when he overtook moving traffic and collided head on with another vehicle.

The driver of the other car involved, a 29-year-old woman, suffered serious and life-changing injuries. She is still in hospital recovering from the collision.

At the scene it was clear to officers and paramedics that Atanasov was under the influence of drugs. He then tested positive for cocaine in a roadside drug swipe.

Witnesses also stated he had been driving recklessly and evidence was submitted via Op Snap which showed him dangerously overtaking other vehicles prior to causing the collision.

He was arrested and later charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, using a vehicle with no insurance, and driving whilst unfit through drugs.

*A toxicology report later showed that Atanasov had no less than 138 micrograms of Benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood, with the legal limit being 50.

BZE is the breakdown product of cocaine which will appear in the bloodstream after taking the drug.

The report also showed that he had no less than 95 micrograms of Methylamphetamine per litre of blood. The legal limit is 10.

He was held in remand until today, almost five weeks on from the collision, where he was handed a 38-month jail term and a five-year driving ban once released from prison.

While the case has ended today, the victim who suffered severe and life-changing injuries will continue her recovery journey for the months, and potentially years to come.

PC Mark Hyett from the Operational Policing Unit who led the investigation said: “The strength the victim has shown over these weeks since the collision has been astonishing. There is still a long way to go in her recovery as she continues to receive all the medical care she needs, but we hope that today marks the next step of that journey.“By sharing the details of this collision, we hope that it will make people think twice before getting behind the wheel under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Or urge people to intervene if they know someone who drives under the influence.“The drugs that were in Atanasov’s system are proven to seriously impair someone’s ability to drive and causes them to present high-risk and impatient behaviour when behind the wheel.“His actions were reckless and selfish. We welcome the custodial sentence handed to him today, as does the victim and her family.”

Notes to editor: We do not have a custody image of Stanislav Atanasov.