A YOUNG motorist has been left with life-changing injuries after he was thumped by a road rage driver for beeping his horn.

Kieron Walker, 21, needed five hours of surgery after his jaw was broken in two places.

He has had a metal plate and screws inserted in his jaw and has been told he might have suffered permanent nerve damage.

He is now having to eat baby food, or with a straw, and is warning other motorists not to use their horns in similar situations.

Mr Walker was driving home, after working at a cash and carry business, in his Vauxhall Corsa car when the incident happened in Cutler Heights, Bradford.

He said: “I was waiting to turn right from Sticker Lane into Fenby Avenue, where I live. It was rush hour and mega busy.

“The lights were at green and I started turning when this guy cut everybody up and drove straight in front of me. He must have been doing 45-50mph in what is a 30mph limit.

“I had to brake and swerve to avoid him but he literally missed my car by inches. It was frightening. I thought my car was going to be written off.

“I beeped my horn and turned right and thought nothing more about it.”

Mr Walker drove for about 30 seconds down Fenby Avenue before pulling up outside his home. But he said the other driver had followed him.

“I got out and stood up,” he said. “The next second I was punched in the jaw with a real haymaker, which knocked me to the ground. I didn’t see him. The first thing I saw was the fist coming.

“A witness tried to grab him, but he casually walked back to his car and drove off. He never said a word.”

Mr Walker said the car involved was a silver Volkswagen Touran, driven by an Asian man in his late 20s or early 30s.

He added: “There was lots of blood and I used a cloth to mop it up.”

He was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary where he had an operation to insert a metal plate and four screws to realign his jaw.

Mr Walker said: “I have got nerve damage and all my face is numb. The hospital has said that will take years to heal, if at all.

“I am off work for a month and I won’t be able to chew for two to three months. It has had a major impact on my life.

“I feel distraught. It’s a shock. You don’t expect anything like that just for beeping your horn.

“It was obviously pre-meditated. He had time to think about what he was doing. Who else could he do it to? Who else has he done it to? He needs bringing to justice.

“I will probably think twice about using my horn in the future and I think other motorists should be careful about it. There have been a lot of cases of aggressive and dangerous driving in Bradford. I don’t know how you stop it.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “This was a nasty assault and we are keen to trace the offender, who is described as an Asian man of stocky build in his late 20s or early 30s with short dark hair.

“He is believed to have driven off towards Cutler Heights Lane and we would ask anyone who may have witnessed the attack, or seen a silver or grey VW Touran in the area around that time to contact us.

“Inquiries are continuing into this incident and anyone with information is asked to contact PC 6705 Dyson at Bradford District CID on 101, quoting crime reference 13160270234 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, who can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”