Jail for dangerous Rugby driver who lost control and pinned terrified pedestrian against a wall

A dangerous driver who drove straight at a pedestrian who ended up getting pinned against a wall, has been jailed.

Ashley Stevens, 30, from Parkfield Road, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and disqualified from driving for 49 months until an extended test of competence has been passed after appearing at Warwick Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Stevens was driving a Kia Picanto away from Rugby town centre along Newbold Road at about 6.40am on Saturday, June 24, last year.

The vehicle was being driven dangerously by Stevens and hit the ‘keep left’ bollards on the wrong side, causing the Kia, with Stevens inside, to roll onto its side, heading towards a pedestrian.

Despite the pedestrian’s attempts to jump out of the way to avoid being hit, the car and Stevens headed straight towards him and hit him, pinning him up against a wall.

A member of the public who had witnessed the collision came to the pedestrian’s aid and saw him on the floor groaning with an injury to his head.

The pedestrian suffered a broken pelvis and cuts and bruises and was taken to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire for treatment.

Following the collision, officers requested Stevens provide a breath test. He refused and after pleading guilty, he was also sentenced to one month to run concurrently for failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He was also ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.

Sergeant Scott Good said: “I cannot underestimate how dangerous Stevens’ was to other road users who were sharing the road with him on that day.

"Newbold Road is a very busy road where there are almost always other road users whatever time of day or night it is. It is totally unacceptable that Stevens’ driving behaviour resulted in an innocent pedestrian being seriously injured.

“We can only hope that some time in prison and a lengthy driving ban will help him realise that driving is a privilege not a right.

"The vast majority of road users are good drivers who drive according to the conditions within the law and before he can drive again he will need to pass an extended test of driving competence to prove he understands this.”

Wesley McCullough, 42, from Beckfoot Close, Rugby was disqualified for 22 months and fined £576 by Leamington Magistrates Court where he appeared charged with drink driving.

He has the opportunity to reduce his ban by 22 weeks if he satisfactorily completes an approved driving rehabilitation course.

He was also ordered to pay £135 costs and £230 victim surcharge.

He was arrested on February 10 in Lawford Road, Rugby, after officers attended a report of a collision.