MOTORISTS are being warned to de-ice their windscreens and windows when the weather gets colder after a Coventry van driver was handed a suspended sentence and a two-year road ban for knocking over a woman.
Gavin Nash’s windscreen was only partially cleared of frost meaning he was unable to see the 59-year-old as he moved his vehicle away near the corner of Brays Lane in January 2019.
After the Volkswagen van struck her she was trapped under the wheel, suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding and spent almost two weeks in hospital.
She has also suffered ongoing struggles as a result of the collision and the injuries she sustained.
Tyre marks on the woman. s
Nash admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Birmingham Crown Court and was this week given the suspended 18-month prison-term and banned from the road for two years.
The 48-year-old, of Brays Lane, was also ordered to pay £8,000 compensation and complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
PC Jordan Keen, from the traffic investigation unit which brought the case to court, said: “This is the time of the year where cars do frost over and it’s imperative your windows are clear before driving off.
“Although it can be time consuming, and cold waiting, the consequences of not being able to see clearly can be devastating.
“In this case the driver wasn’t going fast, and was travelling a short distance, but he had only cleared a small part of the windscreen.
“Not being able to see clearly resulted in an innocent woman sustaining serious injuries, which have continued to impact on her life.
“It’s not worth the risk, it may take an extra few minutes to clear the windows but you need to make sure you’re driving safely. You owe it to pedestrians and other road users.
“This driver now has a criminal record, has been banned from the road and left with a large compensation bill. The risk has proven very costly.”
