CABBIE Richard Smith who suffered massive injuries in a car smash is back behind the wheel.

York taxi-driver Mr Smith sustained massive injuries when a goods van ploughed in to his car on a wet road nine months ago.

Doctors told 6ft 2in tall Mr Smith at the time that had he been shorter, he would not have survived.

The father-of-two had to be air-lifted to hospital suffering from a fractured arm, needing a metal plate and a bone graft from his hip.

He also suffered a broken collar bone and internal bleeding requiring the removal of eight inches of bowel and leaving a deep scar on his stomach.

He appeared in the Evening Press in January, angry at a letter sent to him by North Yorkshire Police saying that the man who caused the crash was being sent on a one-and-a-half day driver improvement course. This cost the driver £160 and avoided a court appearance.

Mr Smith, of Bridle Way, said the van driver had admitted responsibility for the collision which happened last August on the A166 at Holtby, five miles from York.

For the past nine months Mr Smith and his family - wife Sam and children, Jarred, nine, and Bethany, seven, have been living off £55 incapacity benefits and an £8,000 interim insurance payout.

Mr Smith said this had made life very difficult for the family because he was self-employed and Sam did not work.

Doctors initially estimated he would be back at work by April, but Mr Smith's right arm took a lot longer to heal than at first thought.

"With two young kids and the wife not at work it's been very difficult, we have had handouts from friends and family which I'm in the process of paying back," said Mr Smith.

"I'm just pleased now that there's no lasting affects from the injuries and I'm back earning a living and me and the wife can start thinking about the future again."

He said he still thinks the decision to send the other driver on a driving course was the wrong one.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman denied the force was going soft on drivers who admit causing accidents.

He said: "Each case is assessed entirely on its own merits regardless of other cases and one of the major considerations is what is the most practicable way ahead. It is sometimes the case that it is more useful for everyone involved if somebody is taught to be a better driver than to be fined and get some points on their licence."

Updated: 11:04 Friday, June 03, 2005