Yahoo News Wallsend hit-and-run victim, 76, left lying in the road for around 90 minutes with multiple fractures
A pensioner run over and seriously injured in a hit-and-run was left lying in the road for around 90 minutes with multiple fractures.
The 76-year-old left his home on December 23 last year and got the bus to Wallsend then began walking along Station Road to go to Wallsend Comrades Club, which he had done every Friday for the past 50 years.
Gabriella Wilks, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court as he got to a junction where Station Road meets North Road, in Wallsend, he looked both ways, didn't see any cars so began to walk across the road in the dark at a crossing, which was showing a green light to traffic.
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Miss Wilks said: "On approaching halfway on the crossing, he looked left, whereby he saw headlights approaching him at speed. He next recalls something silver approaching his legs before flying through the air and landing in the gutter at the side of the road.
"He felt extreme pain and began to scream. He was approached by a female who gave him a blanket and someone else called an ambulance.
"He said he thought he was lying in the road for an hour-and-a-half before he was taken to hospital by the second ambulance service that attended."
At hospital, it was discovered that the pensioner had multiple fractures, including to his leg and arm, along with cuts and bruises. He had to have a moon boot put on his leg, a cast on his arm, was told to wear a neck brace and he was in hospital for three weeks before being discharged on crutches.
Miss Wilks said: "He said although he had issues with walking before this, he could walk unaided but since the incident, this is something he is no longer able to do."
In a victim impact statement, he added: "My life has been on hold. My mobility has decreased massively."
Witnesses at the scene said they believed Sam Grant was driving in excess of the 20mph speed limit. He didn't stop after hitting the victim, fleeing the scene before later ringing police and confessing.
Grant, 29, of Northumberland Street, Wallsend, who has three previous convictions for unrelated offending and was on a community order at the time, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and failing to stop after an accident. He was sentenced to six months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work, £1,000 compensation and was banned from driving for 18 months.
Judge Stephen Earl said: "I appreciate he was wearing dark clothing and he was elderly and perhaps slow moving but the reality is you were never going to avoid him unless you had been going at the speed limit. You almost stopped but unfortunately that massive braking was not enough.
"It's fortunate this was not fatal because it so easily could have been."
Vic Laffey, defending, said: "He went through a green light and that's not an unsafe manoeuvre. He was waved through by a driver coming in the other direction.
"He drove through a green light and hit someone who was crossing the road in circumstances where the road conditions required a more careful manoeuvre."
He added: "He accepts he drove off. He went to his mate's house, discussed it and called the police.
"He is appalled at himself, specifically for the fact he didn't stop. It was a horrible thing to do, he acknowledges his behaviour was completely unacceptable.
"It was bad enough that he hit him but worse that he drove away. He describes it as disgusting and horrible and he bitterly regrets it."
