Disqualified Driver Jailed After Crash Leaves Two Seriously Injured
Scott Valero-Stewart, 26, of Surrey, has been locked up for over four years after a shocking crash in which two passengers were seriously hurt. The disqualified driver also tried to spin a wild tale to dodge blame.
Crash Horror on Whitehall Road
On 20 April 2017, just after midnight, Valero-Stewart was driving along Whitehall Road in Longfield when his car swerved wildly and smashed into trees before flipping onto its roof. Two passengers suffered serious injuries, while a third escaped with minor wounds.
Blaming Innocent Bystanders
Instead of owning up, Valero-Stewart lied to cops, claiming two other men were behind the wheel and had fled the scene. This forced a massive police search involving officers on the ground and a helicopter.
Previous Disqualification Ignored
Police later discovered Valero-Stewart had bought the car the night before and drove it despite being banned from driving—courtesy of a 2016 dangerous driving offence. He was already serving a 24-month suspended sentence.
Heavy Sentence and Long Ban
On 4 March 2019, Maidstone Crown Court jailed him for four years and four months. He was also slapped with a driving ban lasting five years and two months. Valero-Stewart was convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and breaching his suspended sentence.
“This was an incident which could have been wholly avoided if Valero-Stewart had complied with his driving disqualification and not got behind the wheel,” said Police Sergeant Peter Greaves from Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit.
“His actions caused serious injuries and it’s only sheer luck nobody was killed. He wasted police time and resources by inventing a story and pleading not guilty. I hope his sentence sends a clear message — the law must be obeyed.”
