A hit-and-run driver who crashed into a mother pushing her baby's pram has been jailed. Dale Clark was driving a Toyota RAV4 car when it collided with Rebecca Sharp in the Redhill Park area of Bournemouth at 9am on April 11.
Mrs Sharp, aged in her 30s, selflessly pushed the pram away to avoid her child from being harmed. She was taken to Southampton General Hospital with life-threatening injuries where has been based for several months.
The motorist initially denied he was over the drink drive limit, but working with police, CPS prosecutors were able to prove Clark’s driving was impaired by alcohol he consumed the previous night – thanks to CCTV and witness evidence.
Instead of stopping at the scene, Clark fled and left Mrs Sharp lying unconscious in the middle of the road. One witness memorised Clark’s number plate before rushing to Mrs Sharp’s aid with another driver.
After being arrested several hours later, Clark had a reading of 46 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.
He claimed he had been drinking at a pub in New Milton following the crash. However, CCTV enquiries at the pub in question proved Clark had not visited. In addition, a cleaner who worked at an inn Clark had stayed in the previous evening reported finding
two empty litre bottles of vodka in his room.
Clark, aged 38 and of New Milton in Hampshire, was due to stand trial in August but changed his plea to guilty for drink-driving. A separate charge of driving under the influence of drugs was dropped after the prosecution decided not to push forward with
the charge.
Clark had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop after a collision at Bournemouth Crown Court in May. At a sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday morning (October 23), Clark was jailed for three years and eight months.
He was also issued a six-year driving ban which was extended for one year and 10 months as well as ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.
Mrs Sharp sustained life-threatening injuries including swelling on her brain, multiple breaks to the left side of her pelvis and injuries to her legs. She was in a coma for eight weeks before she was woken up. It is unclear the long-term future of her
injuries, but it is understood her recovery could take several years.
Her baby suffered no injuries in the incident but was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Andrew Coley, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said: “This incident has shattered the lives of Mrs Sharp and her family. It is especially shocking that when Clark saw Mrs Sharp on the ground with her young child nearby, he chose not to stop and
instead left her for dead.
“The CPS worked closely with Dorset Police to build a solid case against Clark – using CCTV evidence to disprove his false claims that he was not above the legal drink drive limit at the time of the collision. Our thoughts are with Mrs Sharp and her
family, and we wish her all the best in her recovery.”
https://www.dorset.live/news/dorset-news/hit-run-drunk-driver-jailed-8851693
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