A 78-year-old driver knocked a woman over on a pedestrian crossing before driving off to do some shopping, a court heard.
Judith Balding, from Leeming Bar, was driving a Mitsubishi Mirage which hit a female pedestrian crossing the road in Northallerton.
But instead of stopping to help the stricken woman, who had been knocked to the ground, the pensioner drove off, continued her shopping and returned home, York Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecutor Alexander Steadward said that the pedestrian was left in shock and with a bruised and painful ankle, and the psychological effect had been profound.
Balding, a volunteer at the Dales Day Centre in Bedale, was found by police later that day and charged with causing an accident which resulted in injury and then failing to stop to give her details.
She was also charged with driving without due care and attention. She admitted both offences when she appeared in court today.
Mr Steadward said the pedestrian was walking across a zebra crossing on the high street when the accident occurred at about 1.30pm on March 15.
The crossing was next to a roundabout which Balding’s Mitsubishi was using. It then drove off the roundabout and went straight over the crossing into the path of the woman, knocking her to the ground.
After being run over, the pedestrian, who was in shock and “fuming”, went to confront Balding, but the pensioner simply drove off and “didn’t appear to react”.
“She carried on with her shopping and returned home after the incident,” said Mr Steadward.
Balding, of Lowlands Drive, later told police she didn’t realise it was a pedestrian crossing and didn’t see the woman in the moments before the collision. She said she knew she had struck the victim but didn’t realise she had been knocked to the ground and injured.
In a victim statement read out by the prosecution, the pedestrian said she was “in shock and very anxious” after the collision.
“I didn’t immediately feel pain which is why I refused treatment,” she added.
“As the hours passed, my left ankle was sore and beginning to bruise.”
She said her husband was “incredibly worried” when she returned home because she suffered from epilepsy. They were concerned that the stress could bring on an epileptic seizure.
The incident had left her so fraught with anxiety she now avoided the road where the accident occurred, and she was anxious whenever she crossed a street.
She said she was “shocked” that Balding drove off and didn’t call the police after the accident.
The woman said that Balding should have had a “clear view” of her and that following the accident her stress levels made it “hard for me to work” and carry out her mothering duties.
The court heard that Balding had a hitherto clean driving record and had never had so much as points on her licence or a speeding ticket.
Defence counsel Billy Torbett said that Balding was “quite simply devastated with what happened”.
He said that, according to Balding, there was a “large, dark lorry” in front of her as she left the roundabout and approached the zebra crossing, and that the pedestrian was wearing dark clothing.
“She didn’t see anyone as she went round the roundabout over the crossing,” added Mr Torbett.
Mr Torbett said Balding needed her car for shopping, medical appointments and visiting friends and family. She also volunteered at the Dales Day Centre which provided meals and hot drinks for the elderly and those “struggling with the cost of living”.
He said Balding’s actions were “out of character” and that she had been “driving just shy of 60 years, since 19 (years of age), and never been involved in an accident”.
Richard Goodacre, chairman of the magistrates’ bench, described the accident as a “nasty incident” which had profoundly affected the pedestrian.
“We cannot ignore the fact that there was injury, maybe not apparent on the day, but the (victim) impact statement is quite clear about the psychological impact and subsequent injury that transpired,” he added.
However, Mr Goodacre said that Balding was “of previous good character”, had a hitherto clean licence and had been cooperative with police. She also needed her car for her voluntary work and for daily chores such as shopping.
For those reasons, the bench decided to impose a one-month driving ban for causing the accident and failing to stop.
The pensioner was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs, along with a £48 victim surcharge.
There was no separate penalty for careless driving, but her licence was endorsed.
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