A British woman from Plymouth has been sentenced in absentia by the Rennes Criminal Court in France following a 2023 incident in which she reversed her campervan into an elderly man, leaving him seriously injured. The court handed down a six-month suspended prison sentence and imposed a fine as part of the ruling.
The incident occurred in September 2023 at the Pommeniac rest area in Bain-de-Bretagne, Brittany. According to witness accounts, the woman, aged 86 at the time of sentencing, reversed without checking behind her and trapped the victim, an 83-year-old man, between her campervan and his vehicle. The man was later found by police bleeding and suffering from severe injuries, including six pelvic fractures. His wife was present at the scene and reportedly heard his screams as he was trapped.
Witnesses noted that someone at the scene was shouting “go, go, go” in an attempt to free the victim. Despite this, the driver left the scene before emergency services arrived. The woman was only arrested nearly two months later, on 4 November 2023, as she attempted to cross the English Channel back to the UK.
The victim’s condition was serious, with police finding him in pain and unable to move properly. Prosecutors had initially requested a three-year driving ban in France and had sought a prison sentence of three years, highlighting the driver’s failure to come forward or contact the victim after the accident. “It was shocking that the driver did not come forward or even contact him to find out the state of health,” stated lawyer Kevin Descamps-Guezou, who represented the prosecution. Speaking to France 3, Mr Descamps-Guezou added, “She should have at least stopped to understand the commotion,” describing the driver’s actions as showing “real contempt for the victim.”
The defendant admitted to causing the accident but denied deliberately fleeing the scene, claiming she was told to leave and that she had not seen the man despite contradictory witness statements. A witness suggested that the woman might not have understood the severity of what had happened during the incident.
The public prosecutor took into account the woman’s age, noting she would soon be 87, and recommended a ten-month suspended sentence alongside the driving ban. However, the court ultimately sentenced her to six months in prison, suspended, and ordered her to pay an initial advance of €4,000 towards the victim’s compensation. An appraisal to determine the full extent of damages is still underway. The victim did not have legal representation during the trial.
The case highlights the legal proceedings concerning traffic accidents involving serious injury and the responsibilities of drivers at the scene of such events. The Rennes Criminal Court’s sentence reflects consideration of the defendant’s age alongside the severity of the victim’s injuries and the circumstances of the incident.
Source: Noah Wire Services