Woman suffers life-changing injuries at the hands of careless white van driver
A careless driver left a woman with life-changing injuries after weaving on the road and nearly mounting a grass verge.
Joshua Keen caused a head-on crash in his white van which left the driver of another car needing weeks of rehabilitation in hospital.
Keen, 24, was spared jail for the “devastating” crash which destroyed both his van and changed the life of the crash victim.
The woman, 43, said: “Keen’s manner of driving has caused me life-changing injuries which has impacted not only me but my family as well.
“It is clear that any motorist driving on the road needs to pay attention all of the time as the consequences can be devastating.”
The victim of the crash required weeks of rehabilitation at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton[1] after the crash and continues to receive treatment.
Keen, from Maidstone, caused the crash on the Sussex-Kent border after weaving on the A267 at Marks Cross near Mayfield.
He also suffered life-changing injuries in the crash in January 2023.
His dashcam footage also saw his Peugeot Partner van mounting a grass verge by the side of the road. He was not able to explain how he caused the collision with the woman's Hyundai.
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The road near Mayfield was closed for several hours while paramedics treated the woman and Keen’s destroyed van was recovered.
Factory worker Keen admitted causing serious injuries by careless driving at Lewes Crown Court on April 18.
He has now been handed a four-month suspended prison sentence and banned from driving for a year.
Sussex Police PC Richard Brand said: “Driving any vehicle on the road is a privilege that comes with the responsibility for all motorists to drive with proper care and attention.
“Any lapse in concentration, whether that is through tiredness or being distracted can have profound consequences.”
Sussex Police say the case highlights the dangers of careless driving, which is one of the main causes in people being killed or seriously injured on roads in the county.
Throughout April, Sussex Police officers carried out increased patrols to raise awareness of the “fatal five” factors which cause serious or fatal collisions.
These also include; drink and drug-driving, driving at excess speed, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving while distracted such as by using a mobile phone.