Following a diligent investigation by a Response Policing officer, a Yorkshire Dales man has been jailed for two years and eight months after admitting causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Jack David Brown (pictured below), aged 27, of Leyburn Road, Hunton, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court today (Wednesday 28 June 2023)
He also pleaded guilty to careless driving and breaching a restraining order.
As well as the prison sentence, he was also disqualified from driving for 10 years which is effective on his release from prison.
The incident happened in his home village on Saturday 15 January 2022 at around 3pm.
He had been driving along Leyburn Road in his new Ford Ranger pick-up truck.
The victim, a woman aged in her 50s, was walking at the rear of a group of children riding ponies and she tried to get Brown to slow down.
A witness said he had been 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 from the animals. The victim attempted to slow Brown by waving her arms towards him.
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 has stepped back towards the side of the road.
Brown has then turned his vehicle towards the victim and hit her causing the victim to fall onto her back.
Brown then continued back to his home address 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.
Despite claiming the victim had “thrown herself” at his vehicle, Brown changed his plea to guilty before a trial was due to get underway.
The investigating officer, PC Mike McVay, from 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.
“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.”
New Highway Code guidelines advise drivers to reduce speed to 10mph and to allow at least two metres of space when passing horse riders and horse drawn vehicles.
The code also now recognises horse riders alongside pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists as road users most likely to be injured in the event of a collision.
The British Horse Society is currently running a national campaign called ‘Dead Slow’ urging motorists to pass horse riders safely and to report incidents via a new app.
https://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/news/north-yorkshire/news/court-results/2023/06-june/dangerous-dales-driver-jailed-for-two-years-and-eight-months-and-banned-from-the-roads-for-a-decade/
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