Court hears woman suffered 'life-changing' injuries after 89-year-old driver's foot slipped from brake to accelerator
Last updated 5 hours ago
A court’s heard a woman suffered life-changing injuries after a car drove into her while she was loading shopping into her own vehicle outside the entrance to the Co-op in Coldstream.
Christine Thomson – who’s 89 and from Leitholm – was trying to park outside the High Street store when her grey Volkswagen Golf collided with the passenger of the other car – pinning her between both vehicles, and knocking another woman to the ground.
Her solicitor Ross Dow today (Monday) told Jedburgh Sheriff Court: “It was a wet day and her foot slipped from the brake to the accelerator.”
But he pointed out the pensioner, who had been driving for 69 years without incident, handed in her licence to the DVLA two weeks after the tragedy, which resulted in the woman having her leg amputated above the knee, and has no intention of driving again.
The court heard the dramatic scenes unfolded around 10.40am on November 23rd last year.
The witnesses were facing the rear of their car when Thomson approached, carrying two passengers.
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Joanna Waller, prosecuting, said the pensioner intended to pull in behind the other vehicle when she “lost control… and accelerated forward” – colliding with the rear of the other woman’s vehicle, and knocking a second woman to the ground.
“She reversed back and stopped a short distance away, with the emergency services being called,” she added.
The court heard the woman pinned between the two vehicles suffered an open fracture to her right fibula and tibia bones and was taken to Borders General Hospital before being transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where she underwent surgery.
The fiscal said there was no threat to her life but that the consequences were "life-changing".
The other woman suffered what was described as “soft tissue damage” and was discharged.
Thomson, of Main Street, Leitholm, admitted a charge of causing serious injury by careless driving.
She was sentenced in her absence due to her personal circumstances.
But Mr Dow said his client was “naturally devastated” by what had happened, and said he understood the victim was pursuing a claim for compensation via the civil court.
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Sheriff Robert Fife said it was “unfortunate” Thomson hadn’t returned her licence earlier.
He said no sentence he could impose could compensate her victim for the loss of her leg.
Thomson told police she was “terribly sorry”, adding: “My foot must have slipped from the brake as the ground had been wet.”
She’s been disqualified from driving for 40 months, fined £750, and ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge.
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