A young driver who knocked down two people as they crossed the road – leaving a grandad with life-changing injuries – has been spared jail.
Alana Smith, then 20, was turning into Station Road, Ashford, in an Audi when she crashed into volunteer street pastors Arshad Haque and Sarah Deans.
A court heard that she briefly stopped to check on Mrs Deans, who was looking for her glasses on the ground, before driving off.
It is understood that Smith, from Kingsnorth, Ashford, was unaware Mr Haque was also lying in the road with multiple fractures, which later required surgery.
He spent 12 days in hospital with a fractured and dislocated tibia and had metal plates inserted. He has gone from being an active grandfather in his 70s to struggling to walk along roads and feeling “anxious and wary” near them.
Folkestone magistrates heard police later attended Smith’s home, but were unable to breathalyse her as she said she had been drinking after the accident happened.
The now-21-year-old was sentenced on Friday, after previously pleading guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.
Prosecutor Victoria McGrady said the street pastors – volunteers who help intoxicated people get home safely – were in “sheer disbelief the driver didn’t properly stop”.
She read a personal statement from Mr Haque, who said the crash – which occurred shortly after midnight on September 21, 2024 – continues to have “a lasting impact” on his daily life.
“It’s been over 16 months, and I’m still not the same as I was before the incident,” said Mr Haque.
“I was left on the road by a driver who chose not to stop. I now carry deep fear on some streets, even at designated crossings.
“Prior to the incident, I was fully independent. I walked daily for exercise, running errands, but I am now slow and tired easily.
“Slow recovery and uncertainty about where I’m going forward have also caused frustration, sadness, and loss of confidence.”
Simon Pettican, defending, said Smith was “devastated” and knew “how close this was to being more serious”.
“This has shocked her. All in all, it wasn’t a good situation for her,” he added.
The court was told how Smith was previously of good character, had confessed to the crime at the earliest possible opportunity and had since graduated from university.
Mr Pettican told magistrates that Smith, who had two friends in the car at the time, insists the traffic lights were green as she drove through, with no evidence to suggest otherwise.
The court heard the white Audi A1 had worn tyres – and it was unlikely the vehicle would pass an MOT. But it was acknowledged that this did not directly contribute to the accident.
Magistrates told Smith that the “harm done was extensive”.
She was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for a year, and will need to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
She will be banned from driving for two years and was ordered to pay costs of £262.
