Half-blind pensioner crashed into boy, 11, leaving him severely injured

An elderly woman crashed into an 11-year-old boy leaving him with severe injuries. June Taylor, 82, left a car park near St Austell and heard "a thud" and then found a "boy on the floor".

The youngster was airlifted to hospital and needed multiple surgeries on his leg. Police officers at the scene administered three roadside eye tests on Taylor, all of which she failed and her driving license was immediately suspended.

Taylor was charged with causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving but denied the charge and has now been found guilty by a jury at Truro Crown Court.

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During the trial, the court was told how the boy had cycled down a footpath towards the Co-op car park as it was a route he knew well and considered to be safer than cycling along the busy road.

The boy gave evidence in person via video link and said he had stopped and looked to see if the road was clear. He saw Taylor's car stop to let him out so he started to cross the road.

However Taylor, from St Blazey, moved forward and hit him. The knock destabilised the lad and he fell to the ground with Taylor driving forward "to get off" whatever she thought she was on after hearing a thud against her car. As she moved forward she drove over the lad and he suffered the leg break.

Francesca Whebell, for the prosecution, told the court that on the day of the incident, the weather had been bright and the boy had been wearing a red Manchester United football shirt which she said would have made him visible to any driver.

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In her own evidence, Taylor said she didn't see him which means he must have been behind her or she would not have missed him had he been in front of her. She did however admit not looking in her side mirrors and "only seeing what she wanted to see".

The court was told that her eyesight had been deteriorating since 2020 which was the last time she had it checked but she had let it slip because of Covid. Her next appointment, due days after the incident, showed how bad her eyesight had dropped.

Following the collision, emergency services were called to the scene. Police officers investigating the collision then asked Taylor to carry out a roadside eyesight test which she failed three times. The court heard she failed the test at 20 metres so it was repeated in increments and she only passed at 10 metres - half the distance required to pass such a test. Her licence was suspended on the spot.

Despite Taylor's defence barrister saying such roadside tests were not the same as driving considering you are only asked to see letters at a distance, and despite a defence expert witness saying it was not possible to say from the photographs and videos of the scene how the collision happened, the jury returned a unanimous verdict that her driving, albeit at very low speed, had been careless as she could not really see what was going on around her.

His honour Judge James Adkin told Taylor she will not go to prison due to her age nor is she suitable for work in the community so he will likely impose a financial penalty on her. Taylor is due to reappear before the court on Monday, July 1, for sentencing.