A DURRINGTON father of two is fighting extradition to South America after being involved in a car crash there during a charity rally five years ago.

Army veteran John Winskill, 48, travelled to Peru in 2013 to take part in the Dakar Rally and raise funds for Help for Heroes.

He was acting as logistical support for the first disabled team attempting the rally, which is considered to be one of the most gruelling motorsport rallies in the world.

But five days into the trip, John’s Land Rover, which was travelling in convoy, was hit by a local driver, shunting him into oncoming traffic.

He hit a taxi carrying six people without seatbelts on, and the driver and one passenger died in the crash.

John was told a police investigation had been opened, but never heard further.

It was not until February this year, more than five years after the crash, that John - who has never given his account of events to the Peruvian authorities - was informed by the courts that they held him responsible for the crash and were charging him with two counts of homicide and four counts of negligent wounding.

"At that point our world ended," John said. "There aren't enough tears."

"Everything, every waking moment is pressure."

John funded a Peruvian collision investigation expert, whose findings indicate that he bears no responsibility for causing the fatal collision -but the Peruvian court has not permitted this evidence to be considered.

"Westerners don't survive there -it's incredibly terrifying," John added.

He said he and his wife, Lisa, as well as their children Harry, aged seven, and Holly, aged four, are living in limbo waiting to hear what will happen, and that the Home Office will not comment on the case, and whether John will be extradited to prison.

"On February 6 we were normal people looking forward to going on a family holiday; by February 7 we had stopped living - we are now just existing," he said.

John said he is now receiving psychiatric care, as the incident has triggered his post traumatic stress disorder.

A trial in Peru is scheduled for November.

John, his family, friends and supporters have already spend tens of thousands of pounds defending the case.

uk.gofundme.com/fundjusticeforjohn2018