Drink-driver hit pedestrians flying and sped from the scene
FOOTAGE has shown the terrifying moment a drink-driver knocked two pedestrians into the air and then drove off, leaving them lying injured on the ground.
Abdullah Rasul drove down a street without clearing the windscreen of his overloaded Ford Ka before he ploughed into the two unsuspecting men.
The 20 year old, who was almost twice the legal alcohol limit, then drove off as the two men – who have authorised the CPS to share the footage – lay still in the street.
As reported in yesterday’s Echo, Rasul was jailed on Thursday following the incident on November 26 in Derwen Road in Bridgend.
Judge Neil Bidder QC, who presided over the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, said as he watched the video: “Absolutely no effort to slow down.”
The court heard Rasul had been at The Roof nightclub and had ignored repeated warnings not to drive and turned down the offer of a lift home JUDGE Neil Bidder QC said Rasul had been drinking heavily that night and drove a significant distance through the town centre.
“Had you stopped to clear your vision you could not have missed those two people crossing the road in a very well-lit city centre,” he told the defendant.
“You drove in this dreadful way. It was entirely reckless. In my judgement you callously failed to stop at the scene.”
when he got behind the wheel in an “utterly reckless” move.
One of his five passengers said he could not see out of the windscreen at all because it was steamed up. Rasul hit Andrew Hopkin and Huw Davies as they crossed the road to get a taxi and then sped away from the scene.
Prosecutor Owen Williams said: “He left them both lying on the floor.”
Police found the car with “extensive” damage to the windscreen and found Rasul inside another bar.
A test revealed he had 65mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – nearly twice the legal limit of 35mg.
Prosecutors said the victims, who were both taken to hospital by ambulance, suffered “serious injuries” but could not remember anything about what happened.
Mr Hopkin, who works as an HGV driver for Tesco, suffered a broken ankle and bruising to his shoulder.
The court heard he had to have an operation on his ankle and was unable to work, which had a financial impact on his family. Mr Davies suffered broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a wound to his head. He said he was unable to help his elderly parents, who rely on him.
The defendant, from Beverley Street in Port Talbot, admitted drinkdriving and causing serious injury by driving dangerously.
He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, failing to stop after an incident, and failing to provide a saliva specimen for analysis.
Rasul was sent to a young offender institution for two years and eight months and disqualified from driving for two years from the time of his release.