A man who drove his pick-up truck into a woman who asked him to slow down as he approached children on ponies has been jailed, and banned from driving for 10 years.
Jack David Brown, 27, of Leyburn Road, Hunton, North Yorkshire, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court yesterday (28 June). He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, careless driving, and breaching a restraining order.
On 15 January 2022 at around 3pm Brown was driving along Leyburn Road in his new Ford Ranger pick-up truck. The victim, a woman in her 50s, was walking at the rear of a group of children on ponies and tried to get Brown to slow down.
A North Yorkshire Police statement stated that a witness said Brown was approaching at speed with lots of engine noise.
“The victim feared he would spook the ponies and put the three children in danger of being thrown off. The woman attempted to slow Brown by waving her arms towards him,” it read.
“As the vehicle got closer to the victim, who had stepped out slightly into the road to get Brown’s attention, he started to rev the vehicle’s engine. Due to this the victim stepped back towards the side of the road. Brown then turned his vehicle towards the victim and hit her, causing the victim to fall onto her back.”
Brown continued to his home without stopping at the scene.
“When the victim attended hospital, it was confirmed she had broken a vertebra in her back. The matter was reported to the police and a collision investigation was undertaken,” read the statement.
Although Brown initially pleaded not guilty, claiming the victim had “thrown herself” at his vehicle, he changed his plea to guilty before a trial was due to get under way.
He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, and disqualified from driving for 10 years, which begins on his release from prison.
PC Mike McVay of the Richmondshire and Hambleton response team said “only responsible and safe drivers should have a driving licence”.
“This is a privilege that has rightly been taken away from Jack Brown for a considerable time, as well as his liberty while he serves his prison sentence,” he said.
“His aggressive and dangerous driving caused serious injury to the victim. He also could so easily have placed the three children, the ponies and the other person who was with the group at great risk of injury or worse.
“I hope he and other drivers learn from this incident and the outcome at court. Dangerous driving will not be tolerated on our roads.”
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