He was described as driving ‘erratically’ and at a ‘crazy’ speed, Hull Crown Court heard
Johnathon Thornton admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving(Image: Hull Daily Mail)
A driver hurtled along a busy city centre road at “crazy” speeds just seconds before suddenly hitting a pedestrian who was crossing the road – and sending him flying into the air, causing serious injuries. The victim suffered a broken collarbone and the effects of the horrific collision on him had been “very considerable”.
The driver was “revving” and driving in an “erratic” way before the crash, including driving very close to cyclists during a “prolonged and persistent” decision to “ignore the rules of the road”, Hull Crown Court heard. Johnathon Thornton, 40, of Harley Street, off Beverley Road, Hull, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving on August 21, 2024.
Joel Wootten, prosecuting, said that a man was walking home from work when he crossed the junction of Park Street and Spring Bank, Hull, at about 7pm. He was half way across the road when he suddenly “saw a flash of red”.
“The next thing he remembers is waking up in an ambulance,” said Mr Wootten. A woman who saw what happened spotted Thornton driving a maroon Jaguar “erratically” and at a “crazy” speed for that road.
She heard a screech of brakes before the car hit the pedestrian, sending him flying into the air before he landed in the road. The victim was taken to hospital. Thornton stayed at the scene.
Police seized a dashcam from his car and pictures showed him driving at speed and very close to cyclists. “In the build-up to the incident, the engine can be heard revving,” said Mr Wootten.
The pedestrian suffered a broken left collarbone, lacerations to his scalp and ears and bleeding. He had an operation to fix plates and screws into his collarbone. His arm was in a sling for seven months.
His shoulder ached because of a permanent steel pin and, because he was left-handed, he had been left with a loose grip and he had to retire early from the job he greatly enjoyed. He suffered pain for a quarter of his week but he could not take painkillers because of other medication that he was on.
Michelle Brown, mitigating, said that Thornton pleaded guilty at an early opportunity and he had no previous convictions. He passed his driving test in 2004 and, during 19 years of driving, he had not had any accidents or disqualifications and he had a clean licence.
“This appears to have been an isolated incident,” said Miss Brown. “He was fully insured. It is a journey that he has done a hundred times. It does seem that something was exercising his mind that day.”
Thornton’s driving licence was revoked by the DVLA afterwards and he would not get it back until the agency was satisfied that he was not a risk. He would now also have to pass an extended retest.
“They may not prove easy obstacles to overcome,” said Miss Brown. The car was “an integral part” of Thorntons life and he “spent many, many years” working on it.
Recorder Felicity Davies told Thornton: “The film shows you driving at speed and becoming very close to cyclists. It appears that you simply failed to observe in time that this pedestrian was in your path.
“By the time you braked, you had insufficient time to halt and were unable, because of that, to avoid hitting him. He was taken to hospital and was found to have a serious fracture to his collarbone.
“He had to spend seven months with his arm in a sling and he has been left with permanent problems and difficulties. He has pain that occurs about 25 per cent of his week and he has to suffer this without having painkillers because of having other medication.
“The surgical plate and screws cause pain in the morning. He was unable to return to work full-time. He has had to retire earlier than planned. The effects on him have been very considerable.”
It was “prolonged and persistent” driving and Thornton made a “deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road” on the day of the collision. “It’s not apparent what distracted you that day,” said Recorder Davies.
Thornton was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, with no requirements. He was banned from driving for two years and he will have to pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again. He was ordered to pay a £187 victims’ surcharge.
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