A27 crash driver fined

Duncan Riley, 22, of Bird in Eye Hill, Framfield, smashed into a couple's vehicle while heading along the A27 one evening.

Riley, a specialist in equine hoof care, was later tracked down by police after the people he hit managed to take down his number plate.

Prosecutor Mark Kateley told Lewes magistrates: 'Just before 7pm on September 9 a number of vehicles were travelling eastbound along the A27 towards the Kingston roundabout.

'It was quite busy and one vehicle with a couple in was being driven in the fast outside lane and was approached from behind by a Land Rover driven by the defendant.

'The Land Rover seemed to be tailgating the couple ahead and obviously desired to get past.

'The nearside lane was quite busy and at some point the Land Rover came into the nearside lane and overtook the couple's car on the inside lane and then moved out into the fast lane.

'However, in doing so it collided with the couple's vehicle, causing some damage and dents and cracking the front bumper and crushing the front wing.

'The couple had noticed a female passenger in the Land Rover grinning and waving at some point while it was overtaking.

'After the collision occurred the vehicles moved on but the couple managed to get the registration written down and that led police to Mr Riley's door.

'He basically admitted he was driving that day and had approached Falmer University and came up behind a car.

'He said he became aware there was a queue of traffic so he moved onto the inside lane to allow traffic to pass

'He then came back up behind a slower vehicle and wished to pass and became aware of another vehicle in his blind spot and was aware there was contact between them.

'The Land Rover Discovery was his father's and he said he did stop as soon as it was safe to do so just off the Kingston roundabout but the other car did not see him stop and that's why he drove on.

'He assumed they were not hurt and did not think the damage was as extensive as it turned out to be. He thought he had just clipped the vehicle's wheel.'

Riley admitted careless driving and failing to report an accident when he appeared in court on Wednesday last week.

A further charge of failing to stop at the scene of an accident was dropped by the prosecution.

The court was told that Riley had previously led a 'blameless life' and had held a full and clean driving licence since he was 17.

Magistrates imposed four penalty points on his licence for the careless driving and fined him 225.

No separate penalty was imposed for the offence of failing to report an accident but he was ordered to pay 50 court costs.