Crash victim told injuries her fault sees driver in dock

A WOMAN who woke up in hospital with life-changing injuries after being hit by a car was told by police she was to blame only to be exonerated two years later.

After waking with no recollection of the accident, police told Luna Frankland that she had stepped in front of a moving car and that they were dropping the case.

But in fact she had been struck by a teenage driver doing 32mph leaving a car park after a row with her boyfriend.

Two years later, the driver, Jessica Mayne, now 21, has been handed a 15-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Ms Frankland’s right tibia and fibula were broken, and she suffered a fractured spine, broken nose, facial lacerations and a moderate traumatic brain injury in the crash and has suffered PTSD and memory loss since. After being discharged, Ms Frankland returned home to find a letter from the police saying that no charges would be brought against Mayne.

But, while she recovered from her injuries, Ms Frankland’s family insisted that police officers examine CCTV footage of the incident, in a car park in Chatham, Kent.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how Mayne had been involved in a tiff with her partner seconds before her car ploughed into Ms Frankland in August 2017. Her boyfriend left the car and walked over a bridge, according to Patrick Dennis, prosecuting.

“CCTV footage showed Mayne’s vehicle veering sharply, directly and ostensibly towards Ms Frankland,” he said “[Mayne] denied driving deliberately at the complainant. We accept that there was no intent, no hostile animus but we say that she was so angry and emotional, she really didn’t give any thought to what she was doing.”