Maidstone BMW driver jailed after undertaking on hard shoulder of M1 near Redbourn
A driver who hit a woman while undertaking traffic on a motorway hard shoulder, leaving her with life-changing injuries, has been jailed. Luke Coleman, of Downswood, near Maidstone[1], was behind the wheel of his white BMW on the M1 in Hertfordshire, when he caused the serious crash.
A woman in her 20s was standing alongside her silver Vauxhall Astra on the hard shoulder near Redbourn when she was hit by Coleman's vehicle at around 6.35pm on October 26, 2021. She sustained life-changing injuries and now has a prosthetic eye and has ongoing mobility issues.
She also sustained multiple breaks and fractures. Coleman, of Murrain Drive, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving but denied the offence. During a four-day trial at St Albans Crown Court in October, the 34-year-old tried to convince the jury a lorry had forced him onto the hard shoulder, causing the crash.
However, the jury heard he was instead using the emergency hard shoulder to undertake slow-moving vehicles and unanimously convicted him of the offence. At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday (December 11), Coleman was jailed for more than three-and-a-half years and disqualified from driving for 58 months.
When eligible, he will be required to take an extended re-test.
Chief Inspector Steve O'Keefe, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: "Coleman was solely responsible for this collision having chosen to drive dangerously by undertaking moving traffic and driving on the hard shoulder, putting other road users and himself directly in harm's way. "These actions led directly to the collision resulting in very serious injuries.
I hope the victim's recovery continues to improve as she adapts to the life-changing conditions she has been left with as a result of Coleman's actions. "I would like to praise her bravery and co-operation throughout the complex investigation and trial. "Coleman chose not to take responsibility for his actions, and my team of diligent and tenacious officers worked hard to counter the false arguments presented during the investigation and hearing.
"This prolonged the judicial process, but I hope that the victim now has an element of closure with the court handing Coleman a substantial custodial sentence."