Uninsured driver fled serious crash in north Dorset

Two cars were forced off the road and one man was seriously injured in the crash .

Weymouth Magistrates Court heard that Christopher James Roberts, 28, had looked down at a text message on his phone and was on the wrong side of the road when he collided head-on into two other vehicles on an A-road.

Roberts was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after a road traffic accident and driving on a road without insurance.

Prosecuting, Siobhan Oxley, said police were called to a three-vehicle road traffic collision near The White House, on Shaftesbury Road, Kington Magna at around 6.20pm on July 28, 2021.

She said that Roberts was on the wrong side of the 60mph-road, on a bend, when he hit another car, a BMW, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

Christopher Roberts was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates court after he fled the scene of a three-vehicle crash on July 28, 2021. Picture: Dorset Council

The car being driven by Roberts, of Ten Acres, Shaftesbury, was said to have forced the BMW off the road and into a hedge. Roberts' car was said to have then continued and collided head on with a second vehicle, a silver Volvo, which was behind the BMW and was also forced off the road and into a telegraph pole.

Ms Oxley said: "There was extensive damage caused to all three vehicles."

When the collision occurred Roberts was seen by the driver of the Volvo and another witness to exit the Vauxhall Astra and leave the scene of the crash, climbing over a fence and running across a field.

As a result of the collision the BMW driver suffered a fractured ankle and was taken to Yeovil hospital for treatment.

Officers attending the scene saw open cans and a bottle of alcohol in the car as well as Roberts' wallet which contained his bank cards.

Christopher Roberts was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates court after he fled the scene of a three-vehicle crash on July 28, 2021. Picture: Dorset Council

Ms Oxley said the Vauxhall belonged to Roberts' girlfriend and said he was driving it uninsured and with an expired driving licence. She said that Roberts had been disqualified from driving previously and had failed to renew his licence.

Roberts was said to have contacted police and turned himself in the next day and was subsequently interviewed on October 16, 2021.

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In police interview Roberts said he was driving from work and received a text message and looked down at his phone when the crash occurred.

He said he ran from the scene because he was 'scared' and said he knew he was driving the car with an expired licence and with no insurance at the time and should not have been driving. Ms Oxley said he told police that it took him four hours to get home on foot.

Ms Oxley told magistrates that Roberts had two previous drink driving offences but maintained that despite there being empty cans in the car, there was nothing to suggest that alcohol was consumed by Roberts in this incident.

Officers attending the scene saw open cans and a bottle of alcohol in the car as well as Roberts' wallet which contained his bank cards.

Roberts appeared in court unrepresented.

He told the court that he wanted to get help with his problems with alcohol. He said he phoned police up that night as soon as he got back to where was staying at the time in Sherborne at around 11.30pm and that police arrived at his home at around 12.15am.

Chairman of the bench, Dr Steve Takel, urged Roberts to get support and to take action to deal with his alcohol issues.

Roberts was disqualified from driving for 12 months and was issued a 12-month community order, during which time he must undertake 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and 150 hours unpaid work.

He must also pay a £95 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.