Careless Driver Disqualified After Causing 19 Year Old Life Changing Injuries

Friday, 20 December 2024 09:43

A careless driver has been disqualified after he caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist near Bexhill.

Stuart Hutchinson turned his Nissan Qashqai into the path of the rider on the A259 at Hooe. The rider, a man now aged 19 from Eastbourne, sustained life-changing injuries.

He said:

“The image of the white car turning in front of me, leaving me helpless, haunts me every night."

Hutchinson, now aged 40, turned in an effort to avoid a build up of traffic travelling towards Bexhill. The manoeuvre gave the rider no time to react.

At Hastings Magistrates’ Court on November 20, Hutchinson admitted causing serious injury by careless driving. The court was told how the incident happened at 8.30am on November 29, 2023.

Dashcam footage showed Hutchinson in the white Nissan turning abruptly in an attempt to travel in the opposite direction, near the turning for the Custom Café.

The 19-year-old motorcycle rider was filtering past traffic, and Hutchinson did not see him.

The rider sustained injuries including broken legs, broken arms, broken shoulder blades, spinal injuries, multiple dislocations, damage to his Achillies tendon and broken bones in his hands.

He said:

“This memory is a constant source of stress, it feels like I am reliving the moment when I believed I was about to die.”

Speaking after the case, PC Lewis Jordan from the Roads Policing Unit, said:

“This case demonstrates the devastating consequences of a moment of carelessness. When asked at interview whether he would have carried out the manoeuvre in a driving test, Hutchinson declined to comment.

“It shows that the turn was not advisable. It was attempted to save perhaps just a minute or two of queueing in traffic due to temporary road works on the A259.

“The result is that a young man’s life has been changed forever. It highlights the need for all motorists to take care on our roads, and to look out for vulnerable road users.

“All drivers should check that a manoeuvre is safe to complete, and in the case of cycles and motorcycles, think bike.”

Hutchinson, formerly a chef of Brinklehurst Drive, Bexhill, has been disqualified from driving for 15 months. The court imposed a community order, requiring him to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £85 costs and a £114 surcharge.