Father of US driver who fled UK after crash left nurse unable to walk sets up fundraising page for legal fight
The father of an American driver who fled the UK after a crash left a British nurse unable to walk is attempting to raise funds for his son’s legal costs.
Issac Calderon, 22, has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a collision on the A4103 near Shucknall in Herefordshire on 31 July left Elizabeth Donowho with two broken ankles, a fractured sternum and a broken bone in her hand.
Nurse Elizabeth Donowho
The 56-year-old was unable to walk for six weeks following the collision.
A warrant was issued for Calderon’s arrest after he failed to turn up to a hearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 1 December.
He is now back living with his parents in his hometown of Humble, in Texas, where Sky News tracked him down earlier this month.
Following the crash, Ms Donowho told Sky News that UK police told her Calderon was connected to the US intelligence services, and that he had been visiting a British special forces base in Hereford.
In court, Calderon’s occupation was given as “American soldier”, according to the Hereford Times.
The case has been likened to that of Anne Sacoolas, the US spy who left the UK after killing teenager Harry Dunn in a crash in Northamptonshire in 2019.
Isaac’s father, Manuel Calderon, set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his son’s legal representation.
The page was live on Thursday morning but was later removed by the platform.
GoFundMe told Sky News this was because it violated their terms of service as it was “in defence of a violent crime”.
A written message on the page said Issac had been working as a contractor in the UK “due to his security clearance with the Texas National Guard”.
It said he returned home with a ticket bought by the company.
Calderon is now back in his hometown of Humble, Texas
His father said the family had been “contacted by the FBI” and they were “talking about extraditing him”.
He also said his son had sustained injuries in the crash, and “still has problems from his concussion and his fractured humorous”.
However, it said he would be unable to access medical treatment until January due to his insurance.
The post concluded: “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.”
The family raised around a third of their $15,000 (£12,000) target before the page was taken down.
Legal advisor: A direct appeal to ‘do the right thing’
Radd Seiger, the legal advisor and spokesperson for Ms Donowho told Sky News she was “highly distressed” when she saw the GoFundMe page late on Wednesday night, and her “overriding emotion was one of hurt”.
Mr Seiger said Ms Donowho was going through a “tough time” and wasn’t sure she would ever be able to return to her work as a mental health nurse.
“When this crash happened, she suffered serious lower limb and upper limb injuries and a serious chest injury. It totally turned her life upside down and she can barely walk at the moment.
While Mr Seiger said it was “comforting” for Ms Donowho to know the FBI had been in contact with the family, he also had a direct message for Issac.
“He absolutely must return to the United Kingdom to face these charges without any further delay. And so, our appeal to him directly today is to get on the first available flight and come back and do the right thing.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
Read more:
Who is in Trump’s top team?
Trump’s cabinet signals tough stance on China
Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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