A woman who drove through a fence into a nursery playground where more than 20 children were playing has avoided a prison sentence. Jayne James, 63, from Knottingley Drive in Great Sutton, appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court on Thursday and received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. She had previously admitted dangerous driving at the same court in August.
In addition to the suspended sentence, James was given a two-year driving ban. The court heard that on Tuesday, June 16, James manoeuvred a grey Omoda people carrier into the car park of Partou Sunny Days Day Nursery and Pre-school on Vale Road in Ellesmere Port during school drop-off time.
Crash details
The vehicle smashed into a wooden fence separating the car park from the playground, which was filled with 22 toddlers aged between two and three years old at the time. The car continued through the playground before crashing into a brick wall, trapping a two-year-old boy between the front wheel of the vehicle and the wall. Two other children were injured by flying debris as the Omoda tore through the fence.
A staff member in the playground intervened, pulling the trapped child from under the car and calling emergency services. All three children were rushed to hospital for treatment but only suffered minor injuries, reports Cheshire Live. They have since been discharged. The youngster trapped beneath the vehicle suffered a significant friction burn to their torso.
Investigation and response
James was detained at the scene and placed in custody. She told officers she had been behind the wheel at the time of the crash but could not recall details about how the incident unfolded. She explained she had been operating the vehicle for several months but mentioned there was a function on the Omoda, an automatic vehicle, that meant it would start to move forward if a particular pedal was depressed while it was stationary. After a thorough inspection of the vehicle by officers, it was found to have no mechanical defects that could have caused or contributed to the collision.
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."
