Driver jailed for trapping man under car in Bournemouth crash

Stanimir Stefanov’s driving in the early hours in Bournemouth town centre was labelled “disgraceful” by a judge.

CCTV footage played at the Bournemouth Crown Court hearing showed Stefanov driving up the wrong side of Exeter Crescent before crashing into two pedestrians who were crossing the road at the junction with Exeter Road.

One of the pedestrians was knocked in front of the vehicle before being dragged along the ground.

The 23-year-old was left trapped under the car until people rushed to lift the front of the vehicle and move it from the middle of the road at around 1.30am on Sunday, May 28.

The man was rushed to hospital and required a ventilator after suffering five separate spinal fractures as well as fractured ribs and other injuries.

He was sedated for several days having been left in what Judge Susan Evans KC described as a “terrible state”.

Stefanov, 24, left the scene but with the intention of handing himself into police, the court heard.

Stanimir Stefanov, 24 and of Churchill Road, Poole (Image: Dorset Police)

Judge Evans KC said: “It is a shocking and distressing incident seen clearly and starkly on the CCTV.

“Your manner of driving was disgraceful. You were behind the wheel of a vehicle when you were in no fit state to do so and you caused long-term damage and distress.”

Prosecuting, Rachel Bailey said the two pedestrians were part of a group of friends who were in Bournemouth to watch the world championship boxing event on Saturday, May 27.

After the sport finished at Vitality Stadium, they decided to go out clubbing in the town centre.

Ms Bailey said in his victim personal statement the man recalled having drinks at Bar So.

“The last thing I can remember is walking to another club and that is when the accident occurred, but I do not remember how it occurred,” the man’s statement said.

The sentencing hearing took place at Bournemouth Crown Court

Discussing the impact of the incident, he added: “I can no longer do day-to-day things like getting into the bath, getting dressed or taking my plate to the kitchen."

He said it was affecting his relationship with his baby son as he could not pick him up and he had been signed off sick from his self-employed work for 12 weeks.

The second pedestrian, who suffered minor injuries, said the defendant nearly killed him and his friend.

In his statement, the second 23-year-old said: “The driver has brought pain into my life.”

He said he thought about his friend being trapped under the car every day.

Stefanov, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing serious injuries by dangerous driving.

The court heard the Bulgarian was visiting the UK on a three-month holiday, with him due to return home in mid-June.

He had hoped to move into a new property with his girlfriend and get married this summer in Bulgaria, a probation officer said.

The defendant, who sells and repairs cars for a living, said he used a “small amount” of nitrous oxide in the car park and this was the first time he had tried it.

The junction of Exeter Road and Exeter Crescent in Bournemouth (Image: NQ)

Stefanov said he did not see the pedestrians in the road and he did not apply the brake because he panicked.

“He says he made off because he felt in shock having been punched by a member of the public,” the probation officer said.

“He felt frightened. He stayed to make sure the vehicle had been lifted from the victim as he was worried about the victim but then left the area with the intention to make his own way to the police station.”

Mitigating, Rob Griffiths said the only realistic outcome was immediate custody.

“This is someone who was legally able to drive a car but for whatever reason behaved in a way where he simply did not react quickly enough and hit the pedestrians,” Mr Griffiths said.

Judge Evans KC commented that the defendant could be seen to "carry on effectively revving the engine while there was a body under the car, not applying the brake".

"I do not know what he thought he went over," the judge said.

The barrister said his client was remorseful, adding Stefanov said he was sorry and told him before the hearing: “I wish the victim a quick recovery and I wish I could turn the clock back.”

Judge Evans KC told the defendant: “That day you were seen in a car park with passengers in your vehicle and you as a group were seen to be inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon. It is quite plain that the nitrous oxide affected your driving.

“One of those witnesses in the car park described your poor driving in the car park and after leaving the car park you drove into the two pedestrians.”

The judge said an expert report said nitrous oxide may impair judgement and reaction time and it can cause hallucinations.

She added: “On any view, anyone who had just taken nitrous oxide should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle and that is obvious to anyone.”

The judge said he collided with the two pedestrians who were quite properly crossing the road.

"You carry on driving and you are seen on the CCTV to drive over his body with your front wheels," Judge Evans KC said.

"He is trapped under the vehicle and you can be seen trying to move forward with the front wheels spinning but you can't because there is a body under the car."

Judge Evans KC said “perhaps unsurprisingly” the defendant was punched by a member of the public at the scene.

The judge said Stefanov was “highly impaired” by the nitrous oxide and he “appeared to be seeking to minimise” his use of it.

Letters from the defendant’s family described him as “responsible”, “kind” and “outgoing”.

Judge Evans KC said: “But what you did on that day was absolutely shocking.

“The damage is huge. Only custody is justified.”

Stefanov, whose address was given as Churchill Road, Poole, was jailed for two years and eight months and disqualified from driving for four years and four months, with a requirement to carry out an extended retest.