Woman seriously injured after being hit by careless reversing driver

A pedestrian was left with serious injuries after being hit by a reversing car and thrown into a chain link fence.

Daniel Benton had only been back behind the wheel for two weeks at the time of the collision on September 29 last year after being banned for a year for drug driving the previous September, Ipswich Crown Court heard on Friday, June 25.

Following the collision in Waveney Drive, Lowestoft, Benton had got out of his car and initially thought he’d killed the victim, said Matthew Bagnall, prosecuting.

The woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm, multiple rib fractures, fractures in her lower back and lacerations to her head and eye.

She spent more than three weeks in hospital recovering.

In a victim statement read to the court she said she didn’t feel any anger towards Benton and accepted that he’d made a mistake.

Mr Bagnall said the collision took place at 2.10 pm when Benton was driving his Vauxhall Astra along Waveney Drive with a passenger.

As he was reversing he had lost control of the car and had hit a street sign before hitting the pedestrian, who was thrown into a chain link fence.

Benton, 27, of Cadge Close, Norwich, denied dangerous driving on Waveney Drive, Lowestoft in a Vauxhall Astra on September 29 last year but admitted careless driving and this plea was accepted by the prosecution.

He was given a £400 fine and his licence was endorsed with five penalty points. He was also ordered to pay £100 prosecution costs and a £40 surcharge.

Andrew Oliver, for Benton, said his client had been performing a three point turn but panicked and had driven too far on to the pavement after seeing an oncoming car.

He said Benton was devastated at what happened to the woman and had made enquiries about her welfare following the collision.

“He didn’t intend to cause such serious injury and is extremely sorry,” said Mr Oliver.