Pedestrian dragged 10m under wheels of a car
A MOTORIST who knocked over a woman on a pedestrian crossing and dragged her along the road for 10 metres has lost her licence for five years and been fined £1,000.
Pearl de Jersey, 79, of New View, Les Banques, St Sampson’s, admitted driving her Toyota Aygo without due care and attention.
She told the Magistrate’s Court that she had voluntarily surrendered her licence after the accident on the Bridge in February and was not intending to drive again.
The court heard how passers-by had to turn the car on its side to free the casualty, who suffered a punctured lung and broken ribs.
Police prosecutor Jim Bell told the court that the incident happened at about 11.15am on 20 February.
Ms de Jersey was driving north along the Bridge while the casualty had walked on to the crossing from the sea side. The pedestrian screamed and slammed her hands on the bonnet when struck by the car, but Ms de Jersey failed to stop immediately. The front nearside wheel ran over the victim’s torso and she was dragged 10 metres along the road.
Ms de Jersey told police that she had not seen the pedestrian. She passed an eye test which was conducted at the scene.
She told the court that she had put her foot on the brake and did not recall dragging anyone along the road.
Judge Graeme McKerrell asked Ms de Jersey if she might have put her foot on the accelerator by mistake. Ms de Jersey said she did not know.
‘When I stopped and got out, I could see she [the pedestrian] was behind the front wheel on the passenger side and had a cut on her face,’ she said.
The defendant did not dispute any of the prosecution facts. She had a previous conviction for a traffic matter from five or six years ago.
Judge McKerrell said this was a very serious incident which caused significant injuries. He said the defendant seemed to have little appreciation of this – she had not seen the pedestrian in the first place and had dragged her along the road for some distance without knowing it.
He felt it was only right that she had agreed to surrender her licence.
Judge McKerrell said he was not suggesting that Ms de Jersey would change her mind and want to drive again, but nevertheless he needed to impose a penalty commensurate with the offence and the suspension needed to be lengthy.
He added that the defendant could have faced a dangerous driving charge, though that decision had been made by somebody else.
More than 200 islanders over 90 have driving licences, page 2
