George Charlton, a 22-year-old mechanic from Hebburn, has been jailed for 31 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving after he overtook two lanes of traffic waiting at a red light, struck an e-bike rider, and then fled the scene, later attempting to blame a customer for the crash.
Collision at Sunderland Road Junction
The incident occurred at 2:53 pm on November 10, 2025, at the T-junction of Sunderland Road in Gateshead, outside the Duke of Cumberland hotel. Charlton, driving a Seat Leon belonging to a customer of the garage he co-owns, approached a red light with cars waiting in both lanes. Instead of waiting, he overtook the queues, crossed onto the wrong side of the road, and accelerated hard to jump the light.
As he did so, a 20-year-old man on an e-bike, who was obeying traffic rules, came around the corner. Prosecutor Jolyon Perks told Newcastle Crown Court: “There is a head-on collision where he has no opportunity to take any avoiding action. There is a significant impact which would have been obvious.” The force of the crash sent the cyclist onto the windscreen before he was catapulted across the junction and struck an upright post on the pavement.
Victim's Injuries and Charlton's Flight
The victim sustained multiple serious injuries, including an open fracture to his right femur, a wound and fracture to his ankle, a significant wound to his left knee with damage to the joint surface and tibia, multiple leg abrasions, and a head wound containing glass from the windscreen. He required surgery under general anaesthetic, plastic surgery, and a blood transfusion due to anaemia. He chose not to provide a statement to police.
After the crash, Charlton fled, abandoning the damaged car a mile away and calling his father. Police arrived within minutes, but the e-bike had been removed by an unknown person and was never recovered. There was no evidence the removal was linked to Charlton. Fifteen minutes later, Charlton was driven past the scene and took a photograph of police and paramedics dealing with the aftermath.
False Blame and Guilty Plea
Police determined the car was traveling at 37 mph in a 30 mph zone at impact. Initially charged with attempted murder and dangerous driving, Charlton later pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop. In a defence statement, he falsely claimed the customer had taken the car before the crash, but he later retracted this.
Judge jailed Charlton for 31 months and banned him from driving for five years. Defence barrister Syam Soni said Charlton had no previous convictions and an unblemished driving record, expressing genuine regret and remorse. “Losing his good name is a source of great shame for him,” Soni said, adding that Charlton had set up a thriving business after leaving school and is a qualified MOT tester who partly owns the garage.
Charlton, of Hautmont Road, Hebburn, has a young daughter and is in a stable relationship. Character references described him as trustworthy, hard-working, and a caring family man.
