Driver Injures Pregnant Woman in Hit and Run Incident in Northumberland

A pregnant woman was severely injured in a hit and run incident involving William Martin, who should not have been driving. He struck her and fled the scene, leaving her injured. The court heard that he had purchased the car only hours before the incident and had never possessed a driver’s license.

The victim, 25 weeks pregnant at the time, suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, brain bleeding, a broken collarbone, and a bruised lung. She also sustained bruising to her hip, knee, and leg, primarily affecting the right side of her body. She spent over a week in the hospital and continues to suffer a year later.

The incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. on February 11th on Front Street in Bedlington, Northumberland. The woman had parked to meet friends and planned to go to a pub with her husband but woke up in the hospital instead. A witness reported hearing a bang and seeing a speeding car before rushing to help the woman, who was lying in the road bleeding. The crash occurred near a bus stop.

Witnesses estimated the car’s speed after the crash exceeded 30 mph. While they did not observe the speed before impact, Martin was initially charged with dangerous driving. He later admitted to careless driving causing serious injury, claiming he was distracted.

Martin turned himself in the following day, confessing that he had purchased the car 12 hours prior and had never held a driver’s license or car insurance. He claimed the incident happened as he turned at a junction in Bedlington. He admitted to hitting the woman but blamed the tint of his windscreen for not seeing her. He acknowledged she struck the bumper and windscreen.

Martin admitted to slowing down briefly before driving away, later calling himself an idiot for not stopping. In court, the woman shared the profound trauma she experienced as a result of the crash. She recounted the loss of her sense of smell and taste, attributed to the impact, and diminished hearing in one ear, also believed to be caused by the brain bleeding.

Now reliant on her husband and parents for daily assistance, the woman expressed feeling anxious in cars and particularly nervous at zebra crossings. The injuries she sustained led to the loss of her driving license, resulting in a feeling of lost freedom. Reflecting on the incident, she worries about her children and the possibility of them being without a mother and her husband becoming a widower.

Her children now assist her near roads, as she sometimes freezes and cannot move. She has fainted several times in their presence, causing them distress. The anxiety resulting from the crash has necessitated counseling, making full-time work impossible and resulting in constant headaches. She stated, “Day-to-day activities are a struggle,” and “Things are not getting easier for me.”

Due to her injuries, she had to deliver her baby early at 37 weeks via induced labor. After four days in labor, she delivered a healthy and thriving baby.

Martin had 27 prior convictions, including driving offenses from 2020. He admitted to careless injury, failing to stop, driving without a license, and driving without insurance. He received a ten-month jail sentence and a driving ban of over three years. The judge emphasized the lasting effects of the crash, describing the driving as appalling and very risky, justifying immediate imprisonment.

Martin’s defense lawyer argued that the full truth of what happened remains unclear and is only known by Martin. The lawyer claimed Martin was not speeding but was distracted in an unfamiliar car. Despite acknowledging that he should not have been driving at all, Martin vowed never to drive again.