Man jailed for stealing Amazon van while delivery driver clung to bonnet

A man who stole an Amazon delivery van and seriously injured the driver after leaving him hanging on the windscreen has been jailed for 13 and a half years.

Jarren Reid, 33, was the passenger in a Mercedes A Class which had followed the van in Coventry in 2018.

When the van pulled up to make a delivery, Reid jumped in and attempted to drive off.

The van driver tried to make Reid stop by clinging 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 in Shilton Lane near the defendant's home address following the incident on 19 November 2018.

Reid's actions caused the owner of the van to suffer a traumatic brain injury, leaving him with lasting issues with 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 an interview.

Reid, of Coventry, was later charged with both the theft of the van and wounding of the driver and admitted both charges at Warwick Crown Court on Friday.

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."