Clayton Heights danger driver sentenced for two-car crash (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Man given suspended jail term for hitting other vehicle head-on at Cottingley

9:10am Tuesday 22nd February 2011 in Clayton Heights By Hannah Baker

A 25-year-old Bradford man, who was seriously injured in a head-on crash, has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Marc Pearson, of East View, Clayton Heights, collided with a BMW travelling in the opposite direction as he drove his Volkswagen Golf along Cottingley Moor Road in November, 2009. He was also ordered to carry out 150 hours’ community service at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

His co-accused Jonathan Jackson, 32, of Moorside, Daisy Hill, Bradford, was also ordered to do 150 hours of community service after he admitted the same charge.

The court was told the men were unknown to each other but were travelling home from Bradford & Bingley’s call centre in Bingley.

Shortly before the collision, Pearson had narrowly missed hitting a traffic island while overtaking another vehicle, while Jackson, travelling behind him in a Volkswagen Passat, was forced on to the other side of the road to avoid hitting it.

Prosecution barrister Oliver Thorne said Pearson then tried to overtake a Suzuki Jimny, which was travelling at a slower speed, and in doing so crashed head-on with the oncoming BMW, whose driver Daniel Sutton was also badly injured.

Barrister Stephen Couch, mitigating for Pearson, said: “This is a perfectly law-abiding young man who drove badly on that occasion and which had consequences to others and himself. He is unlikely to find himself in court again.”

Recorder David Kelly said while they were travelling within the speed limit both were driving too fast for the road and other users.

Both defendants were also ordered to pay £500 each towards prosecution costs.