Tanya Johnston

A woman has been jailed after she crashed into a teenage cyclist and abandoned him bleeding in the road.

A court heard Tanya Johnston could not see out of her foggy windscreen when she turned into a junction on the wrong side of the road and collided head on with the then 17-year-old boy.

Police were called at 10.10pm on Monday 20 February 2023 to reports of a hit and run collision at the junction of Norn Hill and Lefroy Avenue, Basingstoke. A young cyclist had been hit by a blue Vauxhall Corsa and sustained serious head injuries, but the vehicle involved in the collision had left the scene.

Police administered first aid until the ambulance service arrived and took the teenager to hospital. His injuries were so severe he had to have facial reconstruction surgery and will have life-long scarring to his face.

Witnesses saw the Corsa being driven away from the scene and officers located it in nearby Bennet Close with considerable damage to the windscreen.

The vehicle was registered and insured to Tanya Johnston but when police attended her home she wasn't there.

It wasn’t until two days after the collision that 47 year-old Johnston handed herself into Basingstoke Police station.

In her interview she admitted her windscreen was misted up and she did not have a good view of the road
She was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court to 18 months imprisonment for causing serious injury by careless driving. She was also sentenced for dangerous driving after she fled the scene, continuing to drive with a smashed windscreen. She had previously pled guilty to both charges.

Upon her release from custody, she will also be banned from driving for a further two years.

Police Sergeant James Hall said: “This driver showed utter disregard for the safety of others. By driving that car when she clearly could not see properly, she put the lives of all road users in danger.

“To make matters worse she drove off, leaving the victim at the scene without making any calls for help, then failed to own up to what had happened for two days.

“This person’s careless actions have now changed the life of a young man as he has injuries he will live with forever. Despite this he has shown maturity beyond his years at every stage of our investigation, and I want to thank him for everything he has done to help us bring this woman to justice.”