Uninsured South Tyneside driver fractured man’s pelvis after skidding on black ice

Aaron Price, 26, thought he had struck only railings and drove from the scene on the A185 at Jarrow in fear of being also caught driving without a licence.

Price, of Breamish Street, Jarrow, handed himself in to police soon afterwards after connecting himself to a news report of a hit and run.

He took with him to the police station a written apology for his victim, who was injured on Saturday, December 12 last year.

Prosecutor Paul Anderson told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “What appears to have happened is that a man was walking along a Jarrow road.

“A car came around a corner rapidly and lost control. The gentleman was knocked off his feet. He suffered a fractured pelvis and cuts and was bruised.

“The defendant handed himself in with a note of apology. He said there had been black ice and thought that he had only hit a fence.

“He said that he didn’t know he had also hit a person, but then heard a news report. He accepted failing to stop after an accident.”

Price pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance and driving without a licence.

The court heard he was sentenced at Newcastle Crown on Tuesday, December 14, on an unrelated charge of dangerous driving.

For that offence, he was jailed for 16 months, suspended for two years.

Jason Smith, defending, said his latest magistrates’ court charges were a “tidying up exercise following his more serious crown court hearing.

He added: “He slid on black ice and thought he had hit a fence.

“Indeed, there was a mangled fence, but between the fence and the car there was a man.

“He didn’t get very much farther in the car because of damage. He got out and walked away but was seen on CCTV.

“He said that his driving wasn’t careless, it was the black ice.”

Magistrates banned Price from driving for 12 months and fined him £200, with £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.