Driver who “charged through” mini-roundabout and hit cyclist before reversing over her – leaving her with multiple serious injuries – keeps licence

A motorist who “charged” through a mini-roundabout and failed to give way, hitting a cyclist and leaving her with several broken bones and a collapsed lung, has been allowed to keep his licence after initially denying causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

28-year-old Patrycja Gutowska was riding her bike on Crieff Road in Perth at around 8.30am on 5 April 2022 when she was struck at a roundabout by motorist David Knight, who failed to brake when approaching the junction and later admitting entering it when he had no right of way.

According to CCTV footage secured by the police from a shop overlooking where the crash took place, and played to jurors at Perth Sheriff Court this week, Knight – driving a Renault Kadjar – can be seen travelling west along Crieff Road, before “charging” through the mini-roundabout, as Ms Gutowska entered the junction from Feus Road.

In the video, Knight then collides with the cyclist on the roundabout, before slamming on the brakes. It was also alleged in court that the motorist then reversed his car while Ms Gutowska was lying stricken underneath it.

Crieff Road, Perth (credit: Google Maps)

The 28-year-old cyclist was rushed to Perth Royal Infirmary with fractures to her sternum and pelvis, as well as bruised and collapsed lungs, the Dundee Courier reports.

Ms Gutowska also suffered a large scalp wound in the crash, which required staples to be closed by a plastic surgery team, and was forced to wear a Miami J collar, designed to limit movement and support her neck, for 12 weeks after the incident.

The court also heard that, after being discharged from hospital 10 days later, she had to use crutches for some time and underwent months of physiotherapy.

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In the wake of the incident, Knight was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, a charge he denied.

However, one day into his trial at Perth Sheriff Court, prosecutors accepted a guilty plea from the 56-year-old concerning the lesser, amended charge of careless driving.

Following this guilty plea, Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC fined Knight £600 and imposed six penalty points on his licence – meaning he is free to continue driving.

> Police say penalty points “will not do anything to correct poor driving habits” of motorist who hit cyclist after pulling across “to speak with her daughter on the phone”

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen judges conclude that penalty points and a fine are sufficient punishment for apparently careless driving – even following incidents which could have had catastrophic consequences.

In October 2023, a motorist in Somerset similarly accepted six penalty points, a £480 fine, and a victim surcharge totalling £277 for driving “without due care”, after losing control on a bend and almost smashing into a cyclist and another vehicle, having rounded the corner on the verge on the wrong side of the road.

Driver fined for "driving without due care" over incident that almost saw cyclist hit (Avon & Somerset Police) (credit: road.cc)

A number of cyclists, in response to Avon and Somerset Police’s social media post advertising the sentencing, criticised the “pathetically weak” punishment, while the rider involved in the harrowing incident, Steve Western, argued that he was “not sure driving without due care was appropriate for that incident, which could have ended so differently”.

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“Surely, due care is failing to look properly at a junction causing someone else to have to brake, or maybe close passing a cyclist at a moderate 1-1.5m distance,” added Robin Pickering.

“That looks like clear S2 RTA: driving which falls ‘far below the expected standard’ and which could easily have had fatal consequences. Why the downgrade?”