An 18-year-old driver received a two-year sentence after injuring a four-year-old boy in Bristol. He fled the scene but later turned himself in.
Bristol: An 18-year-old crashed his car into a bus stop. This accident seriously injured a four-year-old boy. The driver, James Doherty, was sentenced to two years and two months in a young offenders institute.
He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court for dangerous driving. The judge called him an “idiot” for his reckless actions. Doherty also received a four-year driving ban.
Before the crash, he had just moved to England with his pregnant wife. He had no driving license or insurance and bought a BMW with under-inflated tires.
On November 17, around 2 PM, Doherty drove too fast around a corner in Lawrence Weston. He crashed into a bus stop where a four-year-old boy was waiting with his family.
The boy got trapped under the car, but Doherty and his wife ran away. Later that day, he turned himself in at a police station and pleaded guilty.
During sentencing, the judge explained how Doherty lost control of the car. He noted that the boy could have died from his injuries, which included collapsed lungs and a fractured pelvis.
The boy’s family shared how the crash affected them. They described their emotional pain and distressing flashbacks since the incident.
After the case, a police investigator said they feared for the boy’s life but were relieved he survived. They thanked the public for their help during the crisis.
