SANDOWN WOMAN WHO CRASHED INTO MOTORCYCLIST LEFT HIM WITH FRACTURED VERTEBRA

A Sandown woman who ploughed into a stationary motorcycle, having failed to apply the brakes to her car, has been handed a 12-month driving ban. Lauren Beaumont, of St John’s Road, appeared before magistrates on Friday morning (1st March) charged with causing serious injury by careless/inconsiderate driving on the afternoon of 28th November last year. She pleaded guilty to the offence back in January. The court previously heard that the 42-year-old mum was travelling along Broadway – toward Avenue Road – in her Nissan Note when she collided with the rider of a Honda motorbike. Officers from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary were forced to close the road for a time before the rider was taken to St Mary’s Hospital. At a sentencing hearing yesterday, Magistrates heard how the rider of the motorcycle suffered a fractured vertebra as a result of the collision. He has not worked in over 3 months and is in constant pain. His motorcycle has been written off too. Defending, Mr Arnett said that the collision was low-speed and as a result of a momentary lapse of judgement, careless in its nature. Having read a thoroughly constructed pre-sentence report, Magistrates handed Beaumont a 12-month driving ban and a 12-month community order with 25 rehabilitation days attached. She was fined £184 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £114 surcharge.