Pair sentenced over hit and run in Hull that left woman with life-changing injuries
A pedestrian was thrown over 30m after being struck by a car in 2022
Last updated 20th Jan 2025
A man and a woman have been sentenced after a woman was thrown over 30 metres across a road and seriously injured in a ‘hit and run’ in Hull.
Luke Gough, 36, of Marfleet Lane in Hull has been sentenced to five years and six months after he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing serious injury whilst disqualified, dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.
Gemma Johnson, 30, of Tanfield Grove in Hull has been given a nine months in prison, suspended for two years after she pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
WARNING: the following video contains distressing footage:
In the early hours of Sunday 31 July 2022, Gough was driving a black Audi A3 along Princess Avenue towards Spring Bank accompanied by Johnson, when he struck a 42-year-old woman who was crossing the road, before speeding off and fleeing the scene.
The woman was taken to hospital where she endured three operations to treat injuries including a fractured spine, broken leg, a torn ligament, and a dislocated knee.
Moments after the collision occurred, half a mile away from the scene, Humberside Fire and Rescue were called to a car on fire on Hopwood Close which was later discovered to be Gough's black Audi that had substantial damage to the front of the vehicle consistent with striking a pedestrian.
An investigation was launched, and officers from our Serious Collisions Unit began to conduct extensive lines of enquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Officer in the case, PC Fiona Graham said: “As part of a number of lines of enquiry, we were able to establish that Gough was the driver of the Audi, and Johnson was his passenger, whilst the Audi was driven at excessive speeds before perpetrating the hit and run.
“Through vehicle analysis and CCTV enquiries from the area at the time of the incident, it was identified that the Audi was travelling in excess of 45mph down Princess Avenue which is a 30mph zone.
“On Monday 1 August, Johnson and Gough were arrested at their home address, and upon searching the address, officers discovered a small shard of glass within the drum of the washing machine. Through a laboratory comparison, glass sampled from the vehicle was found to be consistent with the shard recovered from the washing machine.
“During forensic examination of the Audi, a blood spot was discovered from inside the vehicle and found to be a positive match for Gough.
“Both Gough and Johnson demonstrated a complete disregard for the safety of the woman and other pedestrians that day. I still cannot comprehend that they actively decided to continue driving off at speed, even after striking the woman with such force she was thrown a significant distance into the air before hitting the ground.
“This was a truly shocking incident, and their reckless actions could have easily resulted in further casualties, especially since Princess Avenue is a known area for busy night-time economy. It is purely a matter of luck that this incident did not result in a fatality.
“Through her ongoing recovery, the woman has expressed her intentions to raise awareness of the dangers posed by reckless driving and has given her consent to share footage of the collision in the hopes that by doing so, others will think twice before putting lives at risk.
“Finally, I would like to commend the victim for the immense courage she has shown throughout the aftermath of this traumatic incident.”
We continue to encourage members of the public to report any road traffic offences and dangerous driving to us by calling our non-emergency number 101 or 999 in an emergency, to help hold individuals like Gough and Johnson to account for their actions.
You can also submit video evidence of driving offences that you or other members of the public have witnessed via our online reporting tool Op Snap.