Officers sparked outrage by allegedly failing to pursue the driver, believed to be Marcis Blahins, who is accused of crashing into two cars. 

Stunned Aaron Tokley, whose Mercedes was written off in the crash, also accused officers of ignoring evidence which could have led to the banned suspect’s arrest. 

Mr Tokley, 29, said of the police response: “I couldn’t believe it. They were more concerned with their fear of the dark and getting muddy.” 

Blahins, 35, is alleged to have driven his Jeep on the wrong side of the road in Great Bradley, Suffolk, last Saturday before hitting a Mitsubishi carrying a couple and a girl aged four and then Mr Tokley’s Mercedes C220. 

Mr Tokley, from nearby Haverhill, and the Mitsubishi driver jumped out to confront Blahins. 

Police were called but took 25 minutes to reach the scene – by which time the suspect had run off into neighbouring fields. 

Mr Tokley said he told an officer where the suspect had run to but was told: “It’s dark out there and I don’t want to get muddy.” 

Father-of-one Mr Tokley said: “They didn’t seem to care. Then they started laughing. 

“The other driver and I were stunned. Instead they left it to some locals to go into the fields and look.” 

After Mr Tokley, who owns a barber’s shop, posted details of the farce online, colleagues of Blahins made contact claiming he had called asking for money, saying: “I won’t be coming into work, I’ve had a crash. I need to leave the country.” 

Others supplied his name and address. 

Blahins had in April admitted drink-driving, driving while disqualified and having false number plates and been handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, on top of a three-year driving ban. 

A Suffolk Police spokesman said: “Inquiries are continuing to identify and locate the driver.”