A YOUNG car firm boss crashed an Aston Martin into a vehicle and then drove off on only three wheels, with sparks flying as he went, a court was told.

Thomas George Preston, 28, hit a Mondeo, in which an occupant was injured.

Police, who scrambled the force helicopter, followed a trail of damage in the road from the accident site and found the Aston Martin in a barn at a nearby farm.

The passenger was arrested in a field, and Preston went to the police station by arrangement within days.

Burnley magistrates heard how before the collision Preston had overtaken a woman driving with her child and mother and she thought he was clocking up about 80mph.

The defendant, who has never been in trouble before and is due to marry on July 11, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to report it.

Preston, of Malham View Close, Barnoldswick, was given 18 weeks in jail, suspended for a year, with 240 hours unpaid work.

He was banned for 15 months, must pay £50 costs and was ordered to take an extended retest. Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, said at about 6.50pm on May 31 a woman was driving towards Barnoldswick on Barnoldswick Road, Blacko, when an Aston Martin passed her at speed.

She commented to her family: “Look how fast he’s going.”

She came to the junction less than a minute away and saw an accident had happened involving the Aston Martin.

One person was injured and was at the side of the road.

The prosecution could not say precisely how the accident happened.

Mr Robinson said in the accident, the Aston Martin lost one of its wheels completely, but Preston carried on for one-and-a-half miles.

Police followed the damage on the road to a nearby farm. Officers found deep gauge marks in the road surface and said the missing wheel would have severely diminished the Aston Martin’s steering, handling and braking capabilities.

Preston later went into the police station and admitted he had been the driver and accepted he had not stopped.

Graeme Tindall, for Preston, described him as solid and dependable.

In 2007 he had set up Hippo Vehicle Solutions with his father.

Mr Tindall continued: “He is used to driving high-performance cars.”

The solicitor said Preston did not accept he was going at 80mph and the accident was not as a result of the dangerous driving. The dangerous driving was after the accident.

Preston had driven away in a blind panic as he had never been in trouble before.