The father of a US citizen who fled the UK following a car crash that left a nurse with two broken ankles has set up a fundraiser after the FBI contacted him to discuss extradition.
Issac Calderon was charged with dangerous driving following the collision in July, which resulted in 56-year-old Elizabeth Donowho being unable to walk for six weeks.
Mr Calderon was due to appear at Kidderminster magistrates’ court on Dec 1 in connection with the incident on the A4103 near Shucknall in Herefordshire.
However, the 22-year-old, described as a flight risk by detectives, failed to turn up and West Mercia Police later said he had boarded a commercial flight back to Houston, Texas, on Nov 25.
A fundraiser has since been set up on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe by the suspect’s father, Manuel Calderon, in which the family are asking for $15,000 (£11,750) to help with legal fees.
Mr Calderon’s father said the suspect was able to return to the United States because “the company that contracted him purchased him a ticket”.
Manuel Calderon said his son, whom he called “Isac”, had been offered a contract job in the UK “due to his security clearance with the Texas National Guard”.
‘Associated with secret service’
West Mercia Police previously told Ms Donowho that Mr Calderon had been carrying out work “associated with the secret service” and working on matters “that might come under the Official Secrets Act”.
Ms Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, suffered multiple fractures in the crash – including both ankles, her sternum and right hand.
Ms Donowho said she was told in the aftermath of the crash that because the driver was from the US “he was a flight risk and they were working much more quickly than usual” to get him to court.
Police told her “the extradition process” had begun and it is understood that there are no issues surrounding diplomatic immunity.
Mr Calderon’s father said his son still has problems with concussion and a fractured humerus following the collision.
In his plea for donations on the crowdfunding page, he said: “My son was released from the contract job shortly after and could no longer support himself in the UK.
“He reported this to the court but they were not concerned with his financial problems.
“My son was able to return home because the company that contracted him purchased him a ticket.”
He continued: “Missing his court date… the situation has spiralled from a car accident to my son being a government asset and being removed from the UK under diplomatic immunity, neither of which are true.
“Due to this, his case is being compared to other cases where Americans have been saved by diplomatic immunity which my son is not privy to.”
Similarities to case of Anne Sacoolas
It has been claimed the case bears similarities to that of Anne Sacoolas, who was able to leave the UK as a result of her diplomatic immunity after killing teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn in August 2019 while driving on the wrong side of the road.
Sacoolas pleaded guilty last year, via videolink at the Old Bailey, to causing death by careless driving.
Mr Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, previously said she was “outraged” that another US national had been able to leave the country before facing the courts.
Mr Calderon’s father said: “My concern for my son was for his wellbeing since at that time he had no funds and still needed his injuries to be looked at.”
He added his son has been given medical insurance for his fractured humerus and concussion but it will not “kick in” until next month.
Addressing the reasons for setting up the crowdfunding page, he said: “We have been contacted by the FBI, they are talking about extraditing him.
“We do not have funds for hiring international legal counsel. We are a single-income family and not a family of means.
“We have spoken with an attorney. Although his price is reasonable, we do not have the funds or know of someone who would give or lend us that amount of money.”
Mr Calderon has been described by the US embassy as a “private citizen”, and police said he had been in the UK on a work visa.
Radd Seiger, Ms Donowho’s spokesman, said: “We have noted this GoFundMe page and have nothing to say other than to appeal to Mr Calderon junior, who simply should not have left the UK in the first place, to now do the right thing and return without any further delay.”
