A woman who left a cyclist seriously injured in a hit-and-run has been fined £200 and banned from driving for 12 months.
Lucy Elango ploughed her Toyota Aygo into Jeremy Redford as he rode along the B4508 Shrivenham Road near Highworth on 6 December last year.
The man was flung from his bicycle, landing at the roadside. The defendant stopped for a few moments – before fleeing as members of the public provided first aid.
Police launched an appeal to find the driver of the Toyota, and Wiltshire 999s coverage of said appeal led to the vehicle being located and an arrest being made.
51-year-old Elango, of Church View, Highworth, was subsequently charged with causing serious injury by careless driving and failing to stop after a road accident.
Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard how she failed to give a cyclist enough room and struck the bicycle from behind as she attempted to overtake.
The 53-year-old cyclist was knocked off his bike and flung onto the grass verge beside the road, sustaining serious injuries to his back and neck.
On 27 May Elango was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £200, ordered to pay £85 court costs and an £80 surcharge.
In a powerful personal statement read to the court, Mr Redford said: “I think the thing that really hurts me is that I was left at the roadside for dead by someone that hit me with their vehicle. I do realise how lucky I am to be alive.
“I’m finding this extremely hard to come to terms with and it scares me that people could do that to a human being.
“I have been a lifelong fitness enthusiast, and I really don’t know what this will look like now after this accident.
“However, I do feel very lucky to be alive and to have received such a massive amount of support from the NHS and emergency services initially, along with my family, friends and work colleagues, which has been truly humbling.”
His wife Alison Redford, in a post on social media, condemned Elango’s sentence.
She said: “I am the wife of the injured cyclist whose life has been changed forever as a result of this accident.
“We feel incredibly let down by the justice system. This sentence is an insult to the suffering my husband continues to experience. It is shameful that this is considered to be justice.”
Roads policing officer PC Paul Davis said: “We must not forget the enormous consequences that a moment’s inattention or lack of care lead to.
“Elango’s complete lack of empathy and care, as she left the scene, seemingly oblivious to the extent of the injuries she caused is truly shocking and compounds her careless driving.
“The injured person was left with long term injuries that will require ongoing care. I hope Elango reflects on and fully understands the consequences of her actions.”
