A woman who broke her hand when she was hit by a car while using a zebra crossing has said she is “over the moon” after the driver pleaded guilty in court.
Mitchell Thorne admitted causing serious injury by careless/inconsiderate driving at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
It comes after he hit Jackie Carrington with his Ford Transit van as she crossed the zebra crossing on Portsmouth Road in Lowford.
The 59-year-old admin worker was knocked off her feet during the incident.
She only realised she had a broken hand the next day, when her manager at work told her to go to the hospital to get it checked out.
She was travelling on the bus when she first heard of the guilty plea.
She said: “If it wasn’t for the fact that I was on the bus I think I would have jumped for joy because it has been a long and drawn out process, just full of stress and frustration.
“I’m over the moon that he turned up for court - as he didn’t turn up the first time - and another that he’s pleaded guilty because it just shows that he’s actually taking responsibility.
“If I’d have walked a couple of milliseconds earlier he could have hit me and I could have been under. I am aware that I am lucky.”
READ MORE: Woman hit by van on Portsmouth Road crossing in Bursledon
She added that she used to love walking but since this incident, she has been getting lifts to work.
Following the incident on December 15, 2022, Jackie wrote to Thorne, aged 23, to ask him for his insurance details after she was told by the police that he had apologised.
But she says Thorne, of Bitterne Road West, Southampton, did not reply, which led to him being charged for the offence.
Almost a year on from the crash, she thinks that more needs to be done to make the crossing safer for pedestrians.
“The crossing is literally right outside my work. I’m reminded of it daily.
“The volume of traffic is unbelievable. When people are stuck in traffic they’re just racing along.
“We’ve tried with the council for them to put in a pelican crossing but they’ve just resurfaced it and repainted it.
“Until someone actually dies on there I don’t think the council will do anything. The cars just seem to race there, it’s as if the crossing isn’t even there.”
Thorne was bailed to appear for sentencing at Southampton Magistrates' Court on January 5, 2024.
He has been banned from driving in the meantime.
READ MORE: Woman hit by vehicles on Portsmouth Road calls for new crossing
Jackie added: “He could have pleaded not guilty which would have forced me and witnesses to go to court and dragged it out even more.
“It’s closure, it’s not going to drag on anymore.
"Time and time again I thought 'Just give up, it’s not worth it', and it’s been my managers and bosses and my sister that have pushed me and said 'No, you need to fight this'.
“I was really angry with the guy, but I’m not angry with him anymore.
“Nothing would have been this bad if he’d just stopped or handed over the insurance details. None of this would have happened.”
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