Driver jailed for 35 months after Kingston crash leaves boy with life-changing injuries

A schoolboy has sustained life-changing injuries after a driver crashed into him while he waited at a bus stop in Kingston-upon-Thames in 2022. Lee Nelhams, the driver, has been sentenced to 35 months imprisonment after admitting to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The Collision

Nelhams, aged 34, lost control of his Vauxhall Corsa while attempting to overtake other vehicles on Tudor Drive. His vehicle then collided with a bus stop, striking the young boy. The impact resulted in the boy suffering a bleed on the brain, a skull fracture, a leg injury, and a fractured eye socket that caused vision loss. He spent nearly three months in hospital, requiring sedation for two weeks.

The court heard that the boy, who was two years away from sitting his GCSEs at the time of the incident, has experienced hallucinations and violent fits. His father stated in a victim impact statement that the boy has become lonely and isolated, facing severe anxiety and significant head scars. He now hopes to pursue university education in a supported environment or while living at home due to the ongoing effects of his injuries.

Court Proceedings and Sentencing

Nelhams initially entered a not guilty plea when he was arraigned in 2025, but changed his plea to guilty in June of the same year. His defence barrister described the crash as a 'singular moment of loss of judgement', stating Nelhams immediately called emergency services. The barrister also noted Nelhams had been driving a works van for two and a half years following the crash and had no prior convictions.

Judge Rajeev Shetty imposed the 35-month custodial sentence, stating that the dangerous driving had caused immense trauma and ramifications for the innocent victim. The judge ordered Nelhams to be banned from driving for four years, with an additional extension period of 17.5 months to be served after he completes half of his prison sentence.