Winsford man jailed following New Year’s Eve collision

A man from Winsford has been jailed following a serious collision on New Year’s Eve which left a victim with life‑changing injuries.

Anthony Abbott was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 23rd April.

The 45‑year‑old of Plantagenet Close in Winsford, had previously pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and committing a series of acts with intent to pervert the course of justice.

A 42‑year‑old man from Stoke‑on‑Trent was found not guilty of committing a series of acts with intent to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender.

The case began in Winsford on 31st December 2025, when the victim, a 63‑year‑old local man, was walking home through the town following New Year’s Eve celebrations.

He reached a junction and set of traffic lights on the A54 High Street, near Collingham Way, at around 11.56pm and began to cross the road. As he did so, a car travelling at high-speed drove through the lights and struck the pedestrian, knocking him to the ground.

The vehicle failed to stop at the scene, leaving the victim lying injured in the street. Sadly, the man lost his left leg as a direct result of the impact.

In addition to the amputation, the victim suffered multiple broken ribs, fractures to the bones in his right hand and left thigh, and a displaced fracture of his upper jaw.

Emergency services promptly attended the scene and treated the victim before taking him to hospital. While at the scene, officers located a car wing mirror among the debris, believed to belong to a Volkswagen.

An investigation was subsequently launched by police to locate the Volkswagen and, crucially, the person driving it.

In the moments prior to the collision, a dark‑coloured Volkswagen Eos was captured on CCTV travelling at considerable speed from the direction of the Winsford Bridge roundabout towards the traffic lights where the incident occurred.

The same vehicle was captured on CCTV still travelling at high speed through the town before arriving in the Plantagenet Close area at around 11.58pm. This 1.6‑mile journey was completed in the two minutes following the collision.

At around 12.03am on 1st January, a black Vauxhall Corsa left the same address in Plantagenet Close. The vehicle was captured on CCTV pulling up to the scene on High Street, where police and paramedics were now responding, before leaving and returning to the address. This vehicle was later linked to Abbott.

The Volkswagen was later captured on CCTV footage at around 1.47am pulling into an industrial park in the Eardswick Lane area of Crewe.

Abbott, who had by this time been identified as the vehicle’s owner, was seen exiting the Volkswagen before removing an electric bike from the passenger side and riding away from the area. Abbott was wearing clothing with reflective stripes at the time.

At around 9.30am later that morning, Abbott returned to the industrial site with another man in a flatbed truck. CCTV footage showed him driving the Volkswagen onto the back of the truck, securing it and then using tape to cover its number plate.

The same truck, which was no long carrying any cargo, was stopped by officers in the Fenton area of Stoke‑on‑Trent on 2 January, with Abbott found inside alongside a 42‑year‑old man. The pair were arrested and transferred back to Cheshire for interview.

Two warrants were later executed at Abbott’s home, with officers locating and seizing the electric bike and items of clothing worn by Abbott on the night of the offence.

Phone data recovered from devices seized during Abbott’s arrest revealed that he had discussed plans via Facebook Messenger to purchase an identical Volkswagen Eos to the one involved in the collision.

The Volkswagen involved in the collision was later discovered in Fenton, close to where Abbott had been arrested. The vehicle’s front nearside wing mirror was missing and there was damage to the front bumper.

During interview, Abbott was given the opportunity to account for his actions but chose to answer no comment to all questions put to him.

In addition to his custodial sentence, Abbott was also banned from driving for four years and six months.

Detective Constable Hannah Lamborn, of the Roads and Crime Unit, said:

“In what was meant to be a night of celebration, New Year’s Eve 2025 was one full of tragedy that resulted in the victim in this case, a sociable and outgoing familiar face known across Winsford, having had his life completely changed forever.

“The effects of Anthony Abbot’s blatant disregard for basic road safety are long-lasting and go well beyond the physical. Abbott's careless actions have not only resulted in another man losing his leg but also his sense of independence and the freedom to pursue the many of the activities he enjoyed. There is no sentence or conviction that can make up for that.

“With that in mind, the victim has shown a tremendous amount of resilience throughout our entire investigation, assisting officers with their enquiries and having to relive the events of New Year’s Eve. Both he, and his family, remain in our thoughts as they begin their long journey of healing.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues from the North West Ambulance Service and Response officers who dealt with the immediate aftermath of this distressing incident with the utmost professionalism.

"Finally, my thanks go to the team of officers assigned to this case whose tireless efforts enabled us to put all the pieces of this puzzle together and find and arrest the suspect within 48 hours of the horrific offence occurring.”

Pictured - Anthony Abbott of Plantagenet Close in Winsford.

Watch Cheshire Police's video of the incident here...