Uninsured driver mowed down pensioner during Leeds street chase
A driver who had no insurance knocked down a pensioner during a police chase “for the sake of penalty points and a fine”, a court heard.
Joshua Carrington was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week after his VW T-Cross clipped the woman as she crossed the road in Harehills.
The woman, who is in her 80s, suffered a badly broken arm, finger and rib. Carrington admitted causing serious injury through dangerous driving.
The court heard that police had been patrolling Harehills at around 4.45pm on June 3 last year and became suspicious of the T-Cross that was in the middle of the road.
They went to follow the vehicle which then ran a red light and straight through a cross junction on Harehills Lane.
With blue lights activated, they chased the car which was overtaking traffic during a busy rush-hour period and while pedestrians crossed the road.
He narrowly missed one woman who stepped out into the road then quickly had to retreat.
Carrington then turned from Broughton Terrace onto Foundry Approach where the elderly woman was crossing.
CCTV played in court showed the car swerving at the last second and clipping the woman who fell to the floor.
The car continued but the chasing police stopped to assist. An ambulance was called to take her to hospital where the fractures were identified.
Officers later attended the VW’s registered keeper’s address but nobody was home. They climbed through an open window and found photos of Carrington in the property.
They returned the next day and arrested the 32-year-old from the address.
During his police interview he admitted driving and failing to stop. He said he tried to get away because he simply had no insurance. He denied driving in a dangerous manner.
Prosecutor Oishee Dey said the elderly victim was in hospital for a week. She had been independently mobile until the crash but had to move in with her daughter.
She said she suffered flashbacks, struggled to use her injured arm and could no longer walk far, requiring a walking stick.
She underwent nine months of physiotherapy.
Carrington, of Fairfield Terrace, Bramley, has two previous convictions, including drug driving for which he received a 12-month ban.
Mitigating, Robert Stevenson said Carrington had remorse and “extreme sorrow” for causing injuries to the elderly woman.
He said he panicked when he saw the police and took off, which Mr Stevenson described as a “dreadful decision”.
He said Carrington was not speeding at the time, but had been looking in the rear-view mirror at the police and failed to see the woman.
Carrington graduated from university in 2016 with a degree in music production, but had struggled to break into the industry.
He said his life had been put on hold as he took care of his father.
Judge Howard Crowson jailed him for 28 months and told him: “She crossed the road and should have been safe.
“You appeared from a side road. Others described hearing the tyres.
“Your speed was not particularly high. You looked to turn to avoid the collision, but you did not stop.
“Your primary interest was to evade the police. She was badly hurt. That for the sake of penalty points and a fine.”
He also banned Carrington from driving for 38 months and ordered he must take an extended driving test.