Pensioner driver’s lapse of judgment ended in motorcyclist crashing into oncoming traffic, a court hears

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in a crash after an 85-year old driver made one lapse of judgment in 55 years of driving, a court heard.
09-0565-2

Mansfield Magistrates Court09-0565-2

Mansfield Magistrates Court
09-0565-2 Mansfield Magistrates Court

William Wallace of Chesterfield Road pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The court was told Wallace had moved out of a parking bay and made a u-turn in front of a motorcyclist outside a plumbing supplies centre on Sutton Road, Sutton on April 29.

The motorcyclist had tried to drive around him into oncoming traffic and hit a car.

The pensioner, who drove off without leaving his details told police he had no idea what had happened at the time.

A victim impact statement written by the injured motorcyclist was read out in court.

The motorcyclist whose bike was written off after the accident had suffered leg and thigh injuries and a dislocated bone in his wrist

He had several operations on his arm and was awaiting another on his arm in the New Year.

He would be off work for a minimum of three months and possibly 10, his leg was in a cast and he had to use a wheelchair.

The crash victim said the accident had left him worried and nervous about riding his motorbike and he suffered bad dreams.

He added: “No-one has the right to knock me off my bike, to leave me and drive away and not pass on their details.”

Magistrates heard Wallace had no previous convictions and had held a clean driving license since 1960. He told police he had no idea that an accident had been caused.

Wallace had parked on a slip road which he did regularly as he visited the nearby medical centre.

Moving away involved doing a u-turn and he had unfortunately made a misjudgment and the motorcyclist had to drive around his car.

The accident had been between the motorcyclist and oncoming traffic which was behind Wallace as he drove off.

He was hard of hearing and had not heard anything.

Magistrates endorsed his driving license with nine penalty points and fined him £260 with £85 costs, victim surcharge of £26 and criminal court charge of £150.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the injured crash victim.

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