A Mercedes driver who crashed into a stationary car waiting at roadwork traffic lights admitted fleeing the scene.
Mathew Taylor, 53, of Eastleigh Road in Devizes, had been on his way home from work as a delivery driver on Saturday, August 24, when he crashed at the roadworks on Bath Road in Marlborough.
Appearing at Swindon Magistrate's Court just five days later, Taylor was described as having been 'tired' and so he 'went through the green temporary traffic light too quickly'.
"Because of that, he collided with the vehicle that was waiting on the other side of the light-controlled single lane," explained prosecutor Adam Cooper.
“He then continued driving and drove off when there was very clearly an impact.
"There was a lot of denting and significant damage to the front of the car. He didn’t report the incident to the police afterwards either."
He lost his job as a result of the incident and was later charged with and pleaded guilty to failing to stop after a road accident, failing to report being involved in a road accident and driving without due care or attention.
The Mercedes driver already had three points on his license for a speeding offence in 2022, and the damage to the vehicle he crashed into was found to be approximately £1,200.
In migration, Ms Dunn said: “This action happened in the very early hours and Mr Taylor was tired when he clipped the vehicle.
“He says he hadn’t realised the extent of the damage at the time. When he got home he did contact his employer but didn’t think he had to do anything else.
Chair of the Magistrate's Bench, Dr Whethan, told Taylor that his actions were "clearly a stupid thing to do" but he was no doubt aware of that.
Yet after much debate, the bench chose not to disqualify Taylor from driving.
The defendant was given eight points on his license as a result of the incident, taking him up to 11 points in total.
This means that even having slightly incorrect tyre pressure could take him off the roads now.
Taylor was also fined £350, along with a £140 surcharge fee and £85 court costs.
This leaves him with a total financial penalty of £575.
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