Driver knocked down woman and narrowly missed man carrying baby in Shrewsbury crash
A driver knocked down a woman in Shrewsbury and narrowly avoided hitting a man carrying a baby when he impatiently overtook a bin lorry, a court heard.
Nathaniel Taylor, of Sloan Way, Market Drayton, was given a four-month suspended sentence at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
The 37-year-old previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on March 20 while travelling from his home to Shrewsbury railway station.
Sati Ruck, prosecuting, said: "He stopped on Whitchurch Road and the defendant was two cars behind a bin lorry. The driver of the lorry signalled for the vehicles to pass on the offside. The defendant started to move to overtake the Astra in front of him and the lorry, but the Astra also pulled out to overtake.
"The defendant then decided to accelerate and move into the line of oncoming traffic and in doing so contravened the keep left bollards.
"Having carried out the manoeuvre, and he was described as going as some speed at this point, he failed to see three pedestrians at a crossing - a woman and a man carrying an 18-month-old. He struck the woman and knocked her off her feet which left her lying in the carriageway."
Admission
The victim suffered fractures to her leg and was off work for eight weeks while she recovered.
Ms Ruck said she is now anxious to cross the road and nervous of taking her baby out.
Robert Edwards, defending, said: "Mr Taylor stopped immediately following the collision and telephoned the emergency services. He made a full admission of what took place."
He added that Taylor is man of good and positive character.
Judge Peter Barrie said: "This accident happened on a busy commuter route at a busy time of the day when people are off to school and work.
"You made the deliberate decision out of impatience to take a risk. When you saw what was happening you didn't stop. Instead of pulling back, you tried to complete your manoeuvre and in fact ran over a woman and caused her a serious knee injury."
In addition to the four month suspended sentence, Judge Barrie disqualified Taylor from driving for 12 months and ordered him to pay the victim compensation of £6,000.
