An Ipswich man who left a woman with life-changing injuries after a crash tried to buy an airline ticket before he was arrested.

Florin Mazarache, 26, was driving his car along Portman Road on October 15 of last year when he hit a female pedestrian who had fallen into the into the road near Barrack Corner. 

He drove to his home but later returned to the scene of the collision.

Emergency services, including the East Anglian Air Ambulance, attended the scene and the victim was left with life-changing head injuries which she will never fully recover from.

Mazarache was arrested at his home in Geneva Road and initially denied committing the offences.

Evidence showed he had tried to buy and an airline ticket after the crash and body camera footage from officers showed him returning to the scene without making emergency services aware of his involvement. 

READ MORE: Crime in Ipswich continues to be above regional and national averages

He later admitted to causing serious injury by careless driving, failing to stop at a collision and failing to report a collision. 

At Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, he was given a 15-month custodial suspended sentence for causing serious injury by careless driving offence, with two further four-month suspended terms for failing to stop and report a collision to run concurrently. 

Mazarache was also ordered to serve 15 days rehabilitation, banned from driving for 12 months, given 250 hours of unpaid community work and he must pay £500 in costs.

After the sentencing, Dc Mark Simpson of Suffolk police said: "This investigation shows that police will actively pursue drivers who fell the scene of collisions and believe they can evade being brough to justice."