Jail for motorist who hit three pedestrians in Cannock
A speeding motorist who mowed down and injured three men as they walked home from a night out has been jailed for nine months.
Daniel Sloan fled from the scene of the accident in Walsall Road, Cannock, leaving his victims with serious injuries, Stafford Crown Court heard.
He handed himself in to police nearly a day later when a breath test proved negative. The three pedestrians he hit, who were returning from a social club, were all taken to hospital.
One of them, Philip Churchill, was knocked through a fence and suffered injuries including a dislocated shoulder, fractured wrist, broken ribs and a laceration to his liver.
Sloan, aged 22, of Walsall Road, Great Wryley, admitted dangerous driving and failing to report an accident to the police.
Judge Michael Challinor told him: "You could easily have killed one or more of these pedestrians. You were driving too fast when you had had some alcohol and when you were ill-tempered. Your car was not in good condition. You ran from the scene without bothering to see whether you had hit anyone, leaving these three men stricken and injured."
The court heard that Sloan lost control of his Ford Ka, hit a kerb and then veered into the three men. Mr Jonathan Veasey-Pugh, prosecuting, said the car had a defective front tyre and a crash expert concluded Sloan had been travelling at between 44 and 53mph when he lost control. The speed limit on the road was 30mph.
The Ka came to rest in a wall. Emergency services found two men lying nearby. They were Graham Cavanagh and Taylor Kingston. Mr Churchill was found behind the fence.
Mr Kingston told police he saw headlights coming towards him and then waking up unable to feel his legs. His injuries included a deep gash on his foot and pelvic injuries.
Mr Cavanagh said he was flung into the air. He saw the driver get out of the car and run away, pulling a hoodie up over his head. His legs were 'smashed up' and he was on crutches for weeks.
Sloan gave himself up to police 20 hours after the accident. He said he had drunk two pints of lager and had parted with his girlfriend. He lost control of the Ka due to his speed and panicked.
Mr Harpreet Sandhu, defending, said: "It is clear he didn't know there were people who had been injured as a result of the collision. Since this collision, he has not driven a car."
