A 61-year-old Chippenham man has been given a three-year driving ban following a collision which left a man with serious injuries.
Wayne Dyke, of Danes Close, Chippenham, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates Court on November 24th.
Shortly before 8am on October 28th last year, Dyke was driving a Fiat Punto along Hobley Drive in Swindon and failed to stop at red traffic lights at the junction with Ermin Street.
He collided with a pedestrian – a man in his 60s from Swindon, who sustained a bleed on the brain and impaired vision.
In a victim impact statement supplied to the court, the victim described how he now has to wear an eye patch and suffers from memory loss, headaches, and fatigue. He added: “Mentally, I used to go out regularly to socialise. For the first four months, I couldn’t leave the house on my own. I don’t feel safe around crowds and still feel anxious crossing roads.”
As well as the three-year disqualification, Dyke was given a suspended 22-month prison sentence, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a £187 surcharge, and £425 Crown Prosecution Service costs.
PC Craig Beales, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “This case just highlights how important it is to pay full attention to the road at all times. A collision can occur in a split second and the impact it could have on someone’s life can be significant.”
