An American citizen said to be “associated with the Secret Service” has reportedly fled the United Kingdom after he allegedly crashed his vehicle and left a 56-year-old nurse unable to walk.
According to a report in the UK’s Independent, Issac Calderon, 22, was in England on a work visa when he was charged with causing Elizabeth Donowho “serious injury by dangerous driving in a collision in July.”
Calderon was in the UK performing work “associated with the Secret Service,” West Mercia Police told Donowho, the details of which “might come under the Official Secrets Act.”
The Texan’s employer assured police that Calderon wouldn’t leave the country, but he reportedly jumped on a commercial flight bound for Houston on November 25th, prompting the start of an “extradition process” to force him to return to the UK
The Hereford Times reported that Calderon’s “occupation was given as an American soldier during December’s court hearing,” according to the Independent.
“Calderon has been described as a ‘private citizen’ by the US Embassy and police said he had been in the UK on a work visa,” the outlet states. “It is understood there are no issues surrounding diplomatic immunity in the case and that police were not advised of any intention Calderon had of leaving the UK.”
Doowho reportedly suffered two broken ankles, a broken bone in her hand, and a fractured sternum as a result of the collision. She was unable to walk for six weeks.
Mystery surrounds exactly who 22-year-old Issac Calderon really is after the victim of the crash was told by police that he had been visiting a British special forces base (SAS) near Hereford…https://t.co/FkNPJs1bI1
— L8in (@L8in) December 11, 2023
Calderon, too, “required immediate hospital treatment,” according to the Independent. On August 15 — 15 days after the crash — he was interviewed by officers.
“On Friday 1 December 2023 at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Issac Calderon, 22, who is wanted for failure to appear at court on a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving,” West Mercia Police said.
“Our inquiries have established that he left the UK on November 25 and flew to the United States,” they continued. “We are engaging with his solicitor to inform him of the warrant and the need for him to return to the UK. We have also prepared appropriate paperwork should we need to request extradition, to ensure that the case can be heard in court.”
The US Embassy in England declined to comment.
“The US Embassy does not comment on law enforcement matters involving private US citizens,” a US Embassy spokeswoman said. “The US and UK co-ordinate closely on law enforcement matters.”
“The Home Office said it would neither confirm nor deny whether an extradition request had been made until the suspect had been arrested, as a matter of longstanding policy and practice,” the Independent reports.
Calderon was meant to appear at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on December 1. According to Sky News, he had “been visiting a British special forces base (SAS) near Hereford” around the time of the crash.
Donowho told Sky News that she was “devastated” when Calderon didn’t show up for the court hearing.
“I was told that he was visiting somebody at the SAS in Hereford,” she said. “So there was something like ‘so you can understand the nature of the other driver’s work in this country, bearing in mind he was visiting the SAS’.”
“It was later on that they confirmed [to me] that he has been working for the US intelligence services, I think they said Secret Services,” she added.
“However, a spokesperson for West Mercia Police told Sky News that they were unaware of any connection to the SAS base in Hereford,” the outlet states.
Calderon “was able to stroll out of the country before the hearing,” Donowho said. “They were absolutely aware he was a flight risk.”
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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