Learner driver's guilt as cyclist hit by car

Learner driver, Sharron Cooper, hit the 50-year-old man’s bicycle sending him flying across her bonnet onto the ground. Cooper, 53, of Aintree Road, South Shore, was not present at court but pleaded guilty by letter to driving carelessly and not in accordance with her provisional licence.

She was fined £295 with £85 costs, ordered to pay the cyclist £300 compensation with £22 victims’ surcharge and had five motoring penalty points put on her licence by Blackpool magistrates.

Prosecutor, Pam Smith, on August 17 about 11am the cyclist had right of way on Egerton Road, North Shore, when Cooper turn across his path. The cyclist was taken to hospital suffering from whiplash and extensive bruising and now had ongoing back problems.

In a letter to the court Cooper stated that both she and her passenger had thought the cyclist was on the pavement and that he would stop.