A TEENAGER has been sentenced after fleeing the scene of a collision which seriously injured a four-year-old boy.
James Doherty, 18, lost control of his BMW at about 1.50pm on November 17, 2024, in the Long Cross area of Lawrence Weston in Bristol.
The car collided with a bus stop where a woman and her four-year-old stepson were waiting.
The boy sustained critical injuries in the incident, for which he continues to need medical care for, and the woman was also injured.
Doherty fled the scene but handed himself into Patchway Police Station later that day, where he was arrested.
During the course of the investigation officers discovered Doherty had bought the vehicle earlier that day.
James Doherty fled the scene of the collision in BristolIn a statement to the court, the boy’s mother said her son’s “innocence and boundless joy was stolen from him the day the accident happened”.
“He has spent weeks in the hospital fighting for his life and will spend many more trying to get back to the boy we all know,” she added.
The boy’s father, who was with the injured pair and a short distance away when the collision happened, said the effect of the incident on the family had been "indescribable".
Doherty, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on January 31 to two years and two months in a young offenders’ institute.
He also received a driving disqualification of four years and one month and will be required to take an extended test after it is completed.
Judge Peter Blair said Doherty drove at an “inappropriate” speed and was “utterly cowardly” in fleeing the scene.
He acknowledged that Doherty was a young man and had no previous convictions.
Avon and Somerset Police's Senior Collision Investigator, David Paniccia-Brown said: “James Doherty caused horrendous injuries to a young boy and a woman and then showed no regard for their welfare by fleeing from the scene.
“At the time of the collision we feared the boy would not survive but fortunately he has pulled through, in no small part due to the wonderful care of medical staff at Bristol Children’s Hospital and paramedics,” he added.
“He will need ongoing medical care, something no little boy should have to go through, as will his stepmother.
“We want to thank the family for the dignity and composure they have shown throughout this upsetting case, the pain of which both mentally and physically will not end with any court sentence.
“We continue to provide them with support through a specially trained family liaison officer.
“We would also want to thank members of the public who helped at the scene in the immediate aftermath of this incident, helping to free the young boy by overturning the vehicle. I
“t was a hugely distressing scene but they showed kindness and selflessness in a time of crisis and that should be recognised.”
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