Jailed: Oswestry man drove through road closure and hit workman
An Oswestry driver who ploughed through a road closure and hit a workman with his car has been jailed.
Stephen Edwards was driving along the A495 on June 23 last year when he knocked down John Corrigan at speed.
The 31-year-old, of Crestwood Court, Oswestry, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was sentenced to 12 months in prison at a hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
Justice Jeremy Baker said Edwards was 'wholly unfit' to drive and was lucky to only have caused relatively minor injuries to the victim who was on site managing the roadworks.
The court heard Edwards ignored a number of road signs warning of a road closure and at the point where a line of cones was in place to take motorists on a diversion, he carried on along the carriageway.
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Sati Ruck, prosecuting, said: "The workers gestured him to stop but the defendant ignored those gestures and they describe him slowing down before putting his foot on the accelerator and going through the road closure.
"Unfortunately the vehicle hit Mr Corrigan. He landed on the bonnet but managed to roll off the side of the vehicle, landing on his feet.
"The defendant then continued driving along the road road closure before driving off into the distance."
Witnesses believe Edwards was driving at between 40 and 60mph, Ms Ruck said.
He was arrested shortly after at a nearby car park and the court was shown CCTV footage of Edwards staggering around his vehicle before collapsing on the floor.
Alcohol
He admitted to drinking two cans of beer that morning, but passed a roadside breath test.
Stephen Edwards, defending, said Edwards had no recollection of hitting Mr Corrigan but now accepts the facts.
"His only explanation for it is that it was due to a combination of tiredness and prescription medication, along with alcohol he had drunk that morning," he said.
"He has suffered for many years with depression, anxiety and low self esteem and he has turned to alcohol to cope."
Mr Edwards said his client had completely abstained from alcohol in the last month following an episode in hospital and wanted to get back into work.
He added: "Immediate custody would set him back quite some way."
However, Justice Baker said Edwards posed a risk to the public and said only an immediate sentence would be appropriate.
"I have seen the CCTV footage of your condition and suffice to say it's accepted entirely that you were wholly unfit to drive that day," he added.
"You were seen to be staggering around and completely collapsing on the ground without trying to save yourself."
Edwards was also disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years and ordered to take an extended driving test.
