A grandmother has been banned from driving after she mowed down a nine year old girl in front of her mum in a hit-and-run.
Dianne Hopkins, 77, hit the child on a pedestrian crossing after jumping a red light in her Vauxhall Corsa. Instead of stopping, she drove on to pick up her son from a train station.
The unnamed girl who was with her mother and family pet dog suffered a fractured eye socket and multiple cut and bruises in the impact – but when police traced Hopkins, she claimed she knew nothing of the crash.
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At Warrington magistrates court, Hopkins pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident and driving without due care and attention. She was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £200 and ordered to pay £200 in costs and victim surcharge.
When told about the ban by JPs, Hopkins pleaded: “Oh, please don’t. Where I live there are no shops. The nearest shop is over a mile away.”
The incident occurred at 7pm on November 23 last year when the little girl and her mother were taking the dog for a walk on Birchfield Road in Widnes.
They were at the crossing when the dog’s lead got caught on a post. The mum was releasing the dog from the post when she heard a ”bang” and looked round to see her daughter lying injured.
Kate Johnson prosecuting said: “The defendant collided with the dog which had gone behind the complainant and then the child. The child suffered some injuries which were a fractured eye socket which took eight weeks to heal. There was also a cut to the child’s nose.”
Hopinks was traced after police carried out investigations through CCTV and ANPR, Ms Johnson said. The court heard how she was interviewed under caution at Widnes Police Station but said she said she did not have any recollection that she had collided with a child or a dog.
Representing herself, Hopkins, of The Roundabout in Cronton, Widnes, said the first she heard of the accident was when the police came.
“I have lived in that area all my life so I know it very well,” she continued. “I cannot believe what happened. There was no damage to my car, no mark at all, nothing. I know I did it, but I cannot understand how I did not stop at the red light.
“I do not think I have ever gone through a red light in my life. If I had known about it, I would have stopped. I would not have carried on driving. In fact I would have went down that road and came home that way past the roundabout and down to where I live.
“I just did not see it. That is the best that I can understand it.”
She added: “I do well over 100 miles per week, not only am I running my son, I do shopping for a neighbour. I have four grandchildren who live reasonably close and I run one of them to college most days and pick her up sometimes.
“I have to say until this happened, I loved driving. It was a real pleasure for me. I did not start driving until 25 or 30 years because when I was younger, I had my children. I could not afford a car. What else I can say. I am sorry.”
In sentencing, JP Karen Earnest told Hopkins: “Normally in offences of this nature, we would say it has crossed into what we call the community threshold, but we won’t be looking to ask the probation service to work with you. We do not feel that there is anything that the probation service can do with you that you have not done yourself.
“We are not going to send you the community digging holes in the ground. What we have done is take the option to increase the fine to a slightly higher fine. Unfortunately, there are consequences to offences like this and disqualification is one of them.
“Do not drive while disqualified, that carries a custodial sentence.”
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William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
