Biker says ‘life ruined’ after he was hit by car
A MOTORCYCLIST whose leg had to be amputated as a result of a careless driver who collided with him said his “life has been ruined”.
Rebecca Jennings failed to see him while taking a right turn and sent him flying through the air. The 29-year-old drove her silver Vauxhall Astra into Brian Woodley’s Yamaha 900 on the A4046 in Ebbw Vale on December 8, 2022.
It resulted in catastrophic consequences for Mr Woodley, whose right leg was amputated below the knee as a result of the injuries he sustained.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on March 28 heard the victim was travelling towards Merthyr Tydfil when he saw a car travelling in the opposite direction, which appeared to be entering his lane. It made contact with Mr Woodley’s leg, causing him to catapult into the air before landing in brambles on a grass verge.
A witness who described the collision said Jennings’ vehicle was making a right turn into Garden City when she collided with the motorbike, causing Mr Woodley to be thrown into the air. He and another man went to Mr Woodley’s aid, as Jennings got out of her car and turned the motorbike engine off.
Mr Woodley was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and was treated for injuries to his right leg. Prosecutor Emma Harris said he also suffered fractured ribs, as well as injuries to his liver and spleen.
A forensic collision investigator concluded that Jennings had cut a corner as the motorbike was approaching, and she should have been able to see Mr Woodley’s motorbike helmet before turning right. In her police interview, Jennings said she had stopped, let two vehicles pass and looked again before making the manoeuvre.
She realised she had hit a bike, but could not see the rider. The defendant told police: “I know it was my fault... I don’t know what went wrong.”
Jennings, of Colbourne Close, Tredegar, later pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. The court heard she was of previous good character.
In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Woodley said the collision had happened on his birthday. He also described how he was unable to see his terminally ill brother before he died, as a result of being unable to travel due to his injuries.
He said: “I am getting slowly more depressed and can’t move on in life. Every day things take longer to do and I have to think about things before I do them.”
The victim said he had undergone a number of operations to repair his femur, and as a result of infections, and his left leg frequently swells up due to the added pressure.
Mr Woodley added: “I feel like a prisoner in my own home... The incident has ruined the rest of my life, I was looking forward to retirement in a few years time but my whole outlook on life on what I can and can’t do has changed me.
“The motorbike was a big part of my life and my intention was to ride around the UK and parts of Europe but I don’t know if that will happen.
“I used to be hands on but I have to think about what I do, nothing is simple anymore.”
He described having a prosthetic leg as “feeling really weird” and he doesn’t know when he will be able to walk fully again. The victim said he recognises he will no longer be able to work and no longer has a social life.
In mitigation, Jeffrey Jones said his client Jennings was “heartbroken” about what had happened to Mr Woodley, and accepts nothing can be done to remedy the injuries he has suffered.
The barrister said the defendant had worked in nursing care, and provided support to her mother and her son who has mental health difficulties.
Sentencing, Judge Shoman Khan said: “You and you alone are to blame for the collision. The injuries to Mr Woodley are life changing.”
Jennings was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 12 months. She was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, to pay costs of £500 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.