Driver spared jail after child injured in Northampton collision
A 55-year-old woman was given a suspended sentence after hitting a young girl
A 55-year-old woman has been spared jail after hitting a child who was crossing the A4500 Weedon Road in Upton, Northampton.
Adrianna Calbaza received a 15-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Northampton Crown Court on 3rd August after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
She was disqualified from driving for two years and must pass an extended driving test before she can drive again.
Calbaza must also pay £1,000 in court costs and a £187 victim surcharge.
The collision took place shortly after 4pm on 28th July 2025, while the young girl was using a pelican crossing.
Calbaza failed to stop at a red light and struck the child, who was then airlifted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Her injuries were found not to be life-changing.
Calbaza was arrested at the scene and charged with dangerous driving following an investigation by Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit.
After several appearances at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, Calbaza's case was moved to the Crown court, where she eventually changed her plea to guilty on 28th May.
Police Statement
Detective Constable Bryony Elgey-Farmer commented on the case:
“This collision highlights the horrifying effects of driving whilst distracted.
"It is a shocking case which has changed the life of the victim and her family forever – the young girl, who was once confident, now struggles to cross the road without the support of her parents.
"She lives near the collision site, and she and her parents are reminded daily of the events that unfolded that day. Despite all of this, the victim remains determined to recover and is an absolute credit to her parents – it was a privilege for me to have managed this investigation for them so far."
"Adrianna Calbaza was extremely fortunate that she didn’t cause a fatal collision that day. She was driving a road that she was familiar with and became complacent – the light had been red for some time before she hit the girl.
"Driving like this is a risk to everyone, and this case demonstrates that even a momentary loss of awareness can have potentially devastating consequences."
“I would like to thank the victim and her family for their support of our investigation and know they are with me when I thank the many people that came to their daughter’s aid that day.
"I’d also like to thank the countless people that contacted us following our appeal for witnesses – this enabled us to establish the facts of the collision very quickly, and without the assistance of these witnesses we may have found ourselves in a different position.”