Jayne James, 63, has avoided jail after crashing through a fence into a nursery playground and pinning a two-year-old boy against a brick wall. She received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was banned from driving for two years.
The incident occurred on the morning of June 16 in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, while James was dropping her grandchild off at the nursery. Her grey Omoda people carrier lurched forward, went through a wooden fence separating the car park from the playground, and struck the child. Around 20 young children were playing in the playground at the time.
Injuries and Immediate Response
Two other children suffered minor injuries from flying wood debris when the fence was destroyed. A staff member on the playground quickly pulled the trapped child free and called 999. All three injured children were taken to hospital but escaped with relatively minor injuries. The child pinned by James's car suffered a 'considerable' friction burn to their chest caused by the still spinning wheel, according to police.
James was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. In an interview, she admitted to driving the vehicle at the time of the collision but could not recall specific details of how it occurred. She claimed the automatic Omoda had a feature that would begin to accelerate if a certain pedal was pressed while the vehicle was stationary. An examination of the vehicle by officers found no mechanical faults that could have caused or contributed to the collision.
Police Response and Aftermath
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.' She added: 'Three of them were injured, one of them was trapped between the vehicle and a brick wall, all of them were left scared.'
Hollis thanked staff and emergency services for their efforts, stating: 'The outcome could have been very different.' She noted that all injured children have been discharged from hospital and have made a full physical recovery, but they and their families continue to receive support from partner agencies due to the emotional and psychological impact of the collision.
