- Isaac Calderon is accused of colliding with Elizabeth Donowho, 56, on the A4103
An American soldier who fled Britain after crashing into a nurse must return to court, his uncle said last night.
Isaac Calderon, 22, may have 'panicked' but has been urged to fly back to Britain because there is 'no honor in running'.
It comes as the Mail can reveal the first images of Calderon, who is wanted by West Mercia Police after failing to appear in court to answer a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He is accused of colliding with Elizabeth Donowho, 56, on the A4103 near Shucknall in Herefordshire on July 31. Mrs Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, was unable to walk for six weeks after suffering a broken sternum and two broken ankles. Calderon, who is said to be 'associated with the secret services', was due to appear at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on December 1 but instead boarded a commercial flight to Houston, where he lives in the suburb of Humble.
His uncle Jonathan Calderon, 59, said at his nearby home that his cousin “should have stayed” and that his actions went against everything his father Manuel, a former Marine, had taught him.
Elizabeth Donowho, who was broken several times, is pictured in the hospital
Isaac Calderon, 22, is accused of colliding with Elizabeth Donowho
Mrs Donowho, from Malvern, Worcestershire, was unable to walk for six weeks after suffering a broken sternum and two broken ankles
His uncle Jonathan Calderon, 59, said at his nearby home that his cousin 'should have stuck around'
He said: 'I think he panicked and left thinking everything was going to be fine. If he doesn't return to England, it will ruin his military career. There is no honor in running.” He added, “Isaac has always been an outstanding kid and he joined the National Guard after high school. His parents raised him respectfully.
“If he did something wrong, his dad would make him do exercises like sit-ups and push-ups, military stuff. It's not too late for him to say he panicked and go back to England.'
He said he thought his cousin was working as a translator in Britain.
Calderon's grandfather immigrated from Mexico and fought in World War II and Korea and received a Purple Heart, one of the highest military honors.
The case has been compared to that of Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American spy who killed 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn in a head-on crash in Britain before fleeing to America.
She eventually admitted death by dangerous driving and was given a suspended sentence – but appeared in court remotely from the US.