‘Momentary inattention’ saw cars collide in head-on smash on busy road

A driver's "momentary inattention" saw her veer across the white lines in the middle of a busy A-road and slam into an oncoming car, a court has heard. Maria Bufton cannot explain what led to the crash which left her victim with a smashed ankle that required surgery to repair it.

Swansea Crown Court ^[1] heard the collision happened late in the morning of August 31, 2022, on the A40 between Haverfordwest and Canaston Bridge in Pembrokeshire ^[2]. Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, said traffic at the time was "not particularly heavy" and visibility was good. The barrister said the defendant was heading eastbound in her Audi TT car behind a white van when she "veered" into the middle of road into the path of an oncoming Ford. The driver of the Ford "had no time to react" and the cars collided and spun around with both vehicles suffering "extensive damage" and ending up on opposite sides of the road.

The driver of the Ford was rushed to hospital with an open fracture and dislocation to her left ankle and had to undergo surgery to repair the damage. The court heard Bufton was interviewed by police the day after the crash and gave a prepared statement in which she said she had been driving home after visiting her mother when the Ford suddenly "appeared from the opposite direction". The prosecutor said in fact the defendant's Audi had been "over the white lane into the other lane" at the point of the collision.

Maria Bufton, aged 45, of Hill View, Leominster, Herefordshire, had previously pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving when she appeared in the dock for sentencing. She has no previous convictions and has a clean driving licence. Ian Bridge, for Bufton, said the defendant was "horrified and ashamed" to find herself in court and is "so sorry for what she has done." He said his client had no memory of the incident.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said the prosecution was unable to say the defendant had been engaged in an overtaking manoeuvre at the time of the collision and so he would sentence on the basis that the incident was down to "momentary inattention" on the part of Bufton. He told the defendant her careless driving in crossing the white line had caused another driver serious injury and he described the case as "very sad on many levels". Bufton was given a 12-month community order and must complete a rehabilitation course and 50 hours of unpaid work. The defendant was also banned from driving for a year.

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References

^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
^{^} Pembrokeshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)
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