Careless driver sentenced at M62 crash leaving man with broken spine

The victim’s car was left suspended in a tree after leaving the M62 and careering down an embankment following being clipped by Stacey Holland.

The 33-year-old admitted her actions were careless in the fact that she was driving in the early hours while tired, after travelling around 200 miles.

She was sentenced at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Thursday, having pleaded guilty to a charge of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving at an earlier hearing.

Chris Howard, prosecuting the case, informed magistrates how the offence occurred at approximately 4.10am on August 8 last year.

The defendant was driving her grey Peugeot 207 along the M62 heading westbound between junctions eight for Burtonwood and seven for Rainhill Stoops.

Holland was travelling in the third lane and, feeling tired, began to move towards the hard shoulder, when in the process she collided with the rear of another vehicle.

The driver of the other vehicle – a grey Nissan X-Trail – lost control, left the carriageway, careered down an embankment and hit a tree rear-on, with the car ending up suspended in the tree.

The traffic on the M62 on the morning of the crash as a result

The court heard how the driver, who also had a passenger in the car, suffered a broken leg, broken spine and broken nose as a result.

At the time of the incident, North West Ambulance Service said that he was hospitalised with a ‘major trauma’ injury, as well as that other ‘walking wounded’ were taken to hospital.

Two lanes were closed for several hours as emergency services worked at the scene of the two-vehicle crash, including to clear up a large spillage.

At the peak of the incident, there were more than four miles of congested traffic, and it initially led to the whole of the motorway being blocked.

However, emergency services were able to release the traffic after around an hour, with all lanes reopening at around 11.30am.

Holland stopped at the scene of the collision, with skid marks visible on the road, and she was later charged by police.

Mitigation was offered from Jeremy Coleman, defending, who said: “This is not the usual type of careless driving, or causing serious injury by careless driving, which often involve the use of substances. This was absolutely not the case here.”

The court heard that Holland was responding to a family emergency in Kent and was driving back home to Liverpool.

Holland was sentenced at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court

“She had taken several breaks, but not enough to avoid this very unfortunate incident,” he continued.

“When she found out the impact of the incident, she was quite remorseful and upset about what the consequences might be of the matter.”

It was also said that she pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, made full admissions to police during her interview and is a ‘lady of good character’ with no previous convictions.

She is also 37 weeks pregnant and three weeks off giving birth, with Mr Coleman adding that his client wishes to apologise for what happened.

Before sentencing, the chair magistrate said: “We have listened carefully to what has been said this morning and considered absolutely everything.

“We feel that a community order is appropriate in this case.”

Holland, of Hornsey Road in Anfield, Liverpool, was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

She must also pay a fine of £200, victim surcharge of £114 and court costs of £120, and she was disqualified from driving for the next two years.