Drunk driver ploughed into couple
A STUDENT was twice over the alcohol limit when he ploughed into a couple in Birmingham city centre leaving them with serious injuries, a court heard.
Brian Chandigere, who ignored warnings from his passengers, came within inches of almost running over one of the victims a second time when he reversed his car, Birmingham Crown Court was told.
Chandigere, 19, of Central Avenue, Longbridge, admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol.
He was sentenced to 22 months detention in a young offenders institution and banned from the roads for two years and 11 months.
William Dudley, prosecuting, said in the early hours of September 24 last year the victims had been to a nightclub and were going to get some food at a restaurant.
They started to cross the road in front of the Raddison Hotel off the Pagoda roundabout in Suffolk Street Queensway when they were struck by a Vauxhall Corsa being driven by Chandigere. Just before the accident the defendant had cut in front of a van which he narrowly avoided hitting.
Afterwards the van driver went over to the couple who were lying motionless in the road.
“The Corsa began to reverse back quickly and reversed incredibly close to the male victim who was lying in the road.
“The Corsa came to a stop with the male’s head under its rear bumper. Mercifully there was no further collision,” he said.
Chandigere was breathalysed and had 84 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the limit being 35.
One of the passengers in his car later told police that the defendant’s reactions were poor and that he had to tell him a couple of times to mind the red traffic lights.
Mr Dudley said the male victim was initially put into an induced coma, that he suffered bruising to the brain as well as fractures to his ankle, leg and hand.
In a statement he said that since the incident his life had changed drastically in almost every way and that he needed help from others to carry out basic daily routines.
His partner also suffered leg fractures as well as a fracture to a vertebrae in the lower back.