A STUDENT from York who suffered horrific injuries in a car smash which killed two of his friends is suing the driver of the vehicle for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Jack Martindale, 23, who returned to his studies at the University of York last year following months of surgery and rehabilitation, is claiming negligence on the part of driver Shamail Ali Syed, who fled the scene after mounting the kerb and hitting the group of friends on New Year’s Day 2010.

In November last year Mr Martindale told The Press about the accident and the skilled surgery to repair his shattered skull.

At the time, he said: “I don’t remember the incident. I had very serious amnesia after coming round from the coma. Coming round is very nonsensical and gradual.

“I remember asking if I could go back to uni the following week in the early stages of coming out of the coma but there’s an awful lot of rehabilitation. I only left the neurological rehabilitation centre in July.”

The crash, which happened in North London, was described by Metropolitan Police as one of the worst they had ever seen. Shamail Ali Syed, 25, of Ilford, was later given a seven year prison sentence for two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving, and one count of causing bodily harm by wanton and furious driving.

Mr Martindale suffered multiple injuries including a severe traumatic brain injury, and multiple fractures to his jaw, arm and skull.

The £300,000 claim says he had reconstructive surgery on his fractures at the Royal London Hospital before being transferred to the Neurological Rehabilitation Unit at Homerton Hospital and then on to the Queen Elizabeth Foundation Brain Injury Centre.