An impatient dangerous driver collided with a man crossing the road, leaving him with multiple fractures, after trying to overtake two cars in front of him.
The 52-year-old pedestrian had just been shopping at Castle Retail Park in Nottingham and was walking home when he was hit by a Ford Fiesta driven by Joaquim Justo.
Nottingham Crown Court heard that the victim was crossing Radford Boulevard, about 20 metres away from the traffic junction, when he was struck by the car.
He was propelled into the air and his head hit the windscreen.
The victim lost consciousness following the collision, which happened shortly before 1.30 pm on 15 January 2023. The next thing he knew was waking up in an ambulance and being in pain all over his body.
Justo, aged 60, had been driving down Radford Boulevard before coming to the Hartley Road traffic light junction.
Frustrated by two cars in front of him, which he claimed were going very slow, he tried to overtake them by making a dangerous manoeuvre.
His split-second decision caused the collision which left the victim with serious injuries including fractures to his nose and three ribs and a fractured tibia – a bone in the lower half of his leg – which he needed an operation for.
The victim also suffered dental injuries, including loosening and loss of teeth, requiring him to have a soft food diet, as well as pain and limited movement affecting his hand.
In a victim personal statement, he said the emotional and physical effects he had experienced from the incident have been ‘huge’ and it had had a ‘massive impact’ on his mental health.
Justo, of Nottingham, stopped after the collision and called for an ambulance. He was arrested at the scene and was subsequently charged.
He went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday (3 April 2024).
The court was told he was ‘deeply sorry’ for what he had done and the injuries he had caused the victim to suffer.
Justo was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was banned from driving for three years. He must pass an extended driving test before he is eligible to drive again.
In addition, he must pay £500 prosecution costs and attend up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Inspector Oliver Chadwick, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This was an entirely unnecessary collision, which left an innocent pedestrian with serious injuries that have had a massive impact on his life.
“Justo made this dangerous manoeuvre out of pure frustration with cars ahead of him. As this case highlights, it only takes a split second for a driver to make a mistake and for those around them to be placed at serious risk of harm.
“There is simply no excuse for dangerous driving. We’d urge drivers to please think about their behaviour, the harm they could cause to themselves and others, to think of other road users, and please take extra care on our roads.”
