A 63-year-old woman who crashed into a nursery playground, trapping a two-year-old boy against a wall and injuring two other children, has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Jayne James, from Great Sutton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving following the incident at Partou Sunny Days Day Nursery & Pre-school in Ellesmere Port on June 16.
She drove a grey Omoda people carrier into the nursery car park before colliding with a wooden fence and ending up in a playground occupied by 22 children aged between two and three.
Child pinned between car and wall
The car continued through the playground before hitting a brick wall, pinning a two-year-old boy between the front wheel of the vehicle and the wall. Two other children were injured by flying debris.
A staff member intervened, pulling the pinned child from under the car before calling emergency services. All three children were taken to hospital and sustained only minor injuries. The child who was pinned sustained a considerable friction burn on their torso.
Arrest and investigation
James was arrested at the scene and told officers she had been driving at the time of the collision but could not remember specific details of how it occurred. She said she had driven the vehicle for several months and mentioned a feature on the automatic Omoda that meant it would begin to accelerate if a certain pedal was pressed while stationary.
An examination of the vehicle found no mechanical faults that could have caused or contributed to the collision.
Sentence and police response
At Chester Magistrates’ Court, she was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and given a two-year driving ban.
Detective Sergeant Amy Hollis, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "The lives of over 20 young children were put at serious risk as a result of James’ inability to control her vehicle. Three of them were injured, one of them was trapped between the vehicle and a brick wall, all of them were left scared.
"Despite the distressing nature of the incident, I would like to give the members of staff who helped get the children to safety, as well as the attending Cheshire Police and emergency service colleagues who managed the scene my profound thanks for their efforts. The outcome could have been very different.
"I am very glad to hear that all the children injured in the collision both directly and indirectly have been discharged from hospital and have since made a full physical recovery. That being said, they and their families continue to be supported by our partner agencies as a result of the emotional and psychological impact of the collision which is likely to have a lasting result."
