A CARELESS driver from Moulton who left a 57-year-old female biker with ‘phenomenal’ and life-changing injuries was handed unpaid work by a court.
Laura Cwiklinski, of Meadow Lane, drove straight into the path of the oncoming biker on the A49 Warrington Road in Acton Bridge shortly before 3pm on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
The 39-year-old, driving a white Mini, was turning right off the main road into Willow Green Lane, near the Leigh Arms pub.
After letting another driver out of Willow Green Lane first, Cwiklinski made her turn but failed to spot the biker coming towards her at speed.
The victim, who was on her way home from a weekend away with friends, was thrown from her BMW 1000R motorbike.
She was taken to Aintree Hospital in Liverpool in a serious condition, where doctors found she'd suffered a broken hip, two broken arms and hands, and a broken left leg.
The woman had a series of operations over the next week, where surgeons had to use metal plates and wires to repair her broken limbs.
Cwiklinski, who is currently unemployed, was charged with causing serious injury by careless driving, and pleaded guilty at Chester Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 28.
She was bailed and ordered to return for sentencing on Wednesday, April 29, where the bench banned her from driving on the spot.
Cwiklinski’s victim was present in court for the sentencing hearing, where she read out her impact statement.
Still clearly struggling with her mobility, the woman said the last nine months had been ‘full of pain, tears, and worry’.
She described her scarring as ‘horrific’ and called her left foot ‘deformed and ugly’.
The woman said she still suffers pain and ongoing loss of feeling in her right wrist and thumb, and her left foot, which means she walks with a limp.
She still has hospital appointments every week, including sessions with a psychologist for PTSD, as well as physiotherapy twice a week, and has had five infections since November.
The court heard she recently lost her job as a senior manager after her employer decided she was 'no longer up to it'.
Her plans to retire at 61 have gone, she added, as she cannot afford to do it any longer.
She added: “The crash has turned me from a brave adventurer into a vulnerable victim, and I have to realise ‘normal’ is now something very different for me.”
Defending, Helen Aldridge described said the crash happened after ‘a momentary lapse of judgement’ from Cwiklinski.
She said her client ‘had never had a brush with the law before’, had no points on her licence, and had passed roadside drugs and alcohol tests.
“In 21 years of driving, she has never had an accident anything like this,” she added.
“She is devastated by what happened and suffers sleepless nights as a result.”
Ms Aldridge said police found faults with Cwiklinski's car, adding she’d stayed at the scene after the crash to offer any help she could.
Addressing the victim, the chairman of magistrates, Jean Bamford, said: “The bench is very moved by the situation you find yourself in.
“You injuries were nothing short of phenomenal, and we have to commend you on how well you’ve got on.
“You say you were once a strong person. From what we’ve seen today, we believe you are one still."
Addressing Cwiklinski, Ms Bamford said: “This is not a prisonable offence, but your driving was very remiss.
“We accept you had no intention to cause injury, yet the impact of your carelessness was profound.
“There is a salutary lesson here. A vehicle is one of the most dangerous things we have.
“I do hope you can both move on from this is a positive manner.”
Cwiklinski was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 200 hours unpaid work.
She was banned from driving for one year, and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Share