Mum who caused serious crash had cannabis in her system

A woman who caused a crash that left another woman with serious injuries had five times the legal limit for cannabis in her system. Karly Treadwell, 34, was driving a Mercedes with her young daughter in the car when the crash happened.

She was driving in the Hinckley area, travelling south from Sapcote along Sharnford Road, and when she got to the Coventry Road junction she pulled out without seeing an oncoming vehicle, causing the car to smash into the side of her Mercedes.

The occupant of the other car suffered fractures to her breastbone, two bones in her leg, her wrist, collarbone and two fingers, as well as a dislocated right shoulder. Treadwell appeared at Leicester Magistrates' Court yesterday (Thursday) where she pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by driving without due care and attention and to driving with cannabis in her system.

READ MORE: Woman in her 40s kicked out of flat for keeping neighbours awake all night

The court heard that Treadwell, who is on benefits but has previously worked as a carer, had 11 microgrammes of cannabis ingredient THC per 100ml of blood in her system The legal limit is two microgrammes.

The crash happened at 4.30pm on Thursday, October 5, last year. Prosecutor Peter Bettany told the court: "Karly Treadwell was waiting at the junction to turn right and pulled out in front of the car being driven by the complainant.

"There was a collision and it caused serious injuries to the complainant." The injured woman spent nearly a month in hospital and for the next nine weeks afterwards needed to be on a hospital bed in her living room with carers visiting twice a day to wash and treat her, the court heard.

The woman said in a statement that the injury had robbed her of her independence, had an impact on her ability to earn and caused her partner to take time off work to help her. In her victim statement she said: "I used to be very independent but now my partner has to do all the cooking and cleaning and I can only be of limited help.

"I don't sleep well and fall to sleep thinking about what happened, and wake up thinking about it. I live in a rural area and the thought of driving again is horrible."

Treadwell was represented in court by David Hallmark, who said his client was the mother of a four-year-old daughter and had no previous convictions. He said: "There's clear remorse - she offers her unreserved apologies to the victim of this incident.

"When I described the details of the injuries to her she was absolutely horrified. It was a momentary lapse of concentration."

He said Treadwell had been in a "very abusive relationship" in the past and had been left with "significant trauma" and had used cannabis earlier that week to self-medicate.

Treadwell, of Shadrack Close, Stoney Stanton, was given an 18-month community order with requirements to work with the probation service. She was also banned from driving for two years, fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.