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Drink driver who caused 'catastrophic injuries' to teenage cyclist jailed

The rider was left with life-threatening injuries including spinal damage, multiple broken bones and a bleed on the brain

A hit and run drink driver who left a 17-year-old cyclist with catastrophic injuries in a collision on has been jailed.

Benjamin Grimmett, 22, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and banned from driving for 50 months at Portsmouth Crown Court, Hants on Friday, July 9.

He had previously pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, possession of Class A and B drugs and driving while under the influence of alcohol, the Argus reports.

The court heard that at around 11.55pm on Wednesday, June 17 last year, Grimmett, from Rustington, was driving his red Kia Rio north west along the A259 Charles Purley Way in Bognor having spent the evening drinking with friends on West Wittering beach.

As he drove, the rear wheel of his vehicle struck a concrete central island, causing him to cross over the opposite carriageway and mount the pavement on the other side.

The vehicle struck a 17-year-old boy who was cycling with a friend on the pavement, sending him into a lamppost and causing catastrophic, life-threatening injuries including spinal damage, multiple broken bones and a bleed on the brain.

Grimmett failed to stop at the scene despite damage to his windscreen making it virtually impossible to see through.

He came to a stop around one mile away, where he failed a roadside breathalyser test.

He was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a motor vehicle with excess alcohol in his system and for failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision.

A search in custody found Grimmett was in possession of both Class A and B drugs and a further breath test found he had 54 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

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5 comments

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Jenova20 | 2 years ago
2 likes

That penalty is not a deterrent! How can a life be worth so little from a person breaking so many rules? These people should never drive again.

 

Edit: I realise the cyclist is still alive, but I don't expect the sentence would be any stricter had he died at the scene instead.

Avatar
eburtthebike | 2 years ago
5 likes

There is no breakdown of how long a sentence he got for each offence, so I'm hoping that most of it was for gravely injuring a young cyclist, not drink driving and possession.  Whatever, it isn't long enough, and the driving ban should be for as long as it takes his victim to fully recover, and if he never does fully recover, he never drives again.

Avatar
HoarseMann | 2 years ago
3 likes

That's the Felpham bypass, a fairly new road. The central island is probably the crossing refuge, and the pavement will be the wide shared use path that runs the length of the bypass.

Not safe anywhere with selfish idiots like this on the road.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
2 likes

So I do the same as this oik, but on a bike instead of in a car.   Who'll bet I get a longer stay in chokey?

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ktache | 2 years ago
5 likes

My hope is that the young lad makes an effective and as speedy recovery as is possible.

I also hope the drink driver has learnt something from this.

 

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