Peterborough pensioner fined after U-turn crash seriously injured biker

Jan Samko (71) was found guilty of causing a crash which left a motorcyclist seriously hurt.

Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard Samko, of Waterloo Road, Peterborough, was driving his Hyundai on Thistlemoor Road in April when the crash happened.

The court heard Samko performed a U-turn across the biker’s path, causing the collision, leaving the motorcyclist with serious injuries.

Samko did not turn up to court was found guilty of driving without due care and attention in his absence. He was fined £440, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £44 and costs of £100, and given six points on his licence.

Trudy Depaolo (58) of Drain Road, Newborough, caused a crash on the Gunthorpe Road roundabout - and then drove off without stopping.

Depaolo was behind teh wheel of a Jaguar X-Type, and was following a Peugeot on the approach to the roundabout, before moving around the outside of the car, and cutting in front of it whilst taking the exit the Peugeot was driving past.

She was fined £100, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £100 and had six points put on her licence after admitting driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after an accident.

Aiste Paulauskaite was given a £215 fine after causing a crash which left a cyclist with a broken collarbone in four places.

Paulasukaite was driving on Nursery Road in Huntingdon when she overtook the cyclists, with the intent of turning left.

The rear of Paulaskaite’s Peugeot struck the front wheel of the bike, causing the cyclist to fall off, breaking his collarbone.

Paulaskaite (19) of Spring Close, Huntingdon, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, and was fined £215, ordered to pay £100 costs and a victim surcharge of £30, and given six points on her licence.

Samantha Street (66) of Mayfield Road, Huntingdon was fined nearly £300 after causing a crash on Old Hurst Road in Cambridgeshire.

Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard Street failed to give precedence to a vehicle travelling on the main road, causing a collision.

She admitted driving without due care and attention, and was fined £293, and ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £30. She also had six points put on her licence.

It was not just drivers who were caught failing to give consideration to other road users.

Cyclist Harvey Charlton (19) of Falklands Drive, Wisbech, was fined after pleading guilty to riding a cycle without reasonable consideration to other persons using the road.

The court heard that Charlton was ringing along Lynn Road at about 5.25pm on May 20 when the offence happened.

It was said he was witnessed by police to cycle through the junction of Lynn Road, in the direction of the police vehicle. He was then seen to swerve to the middle of the road, gesturing at one of the stationary vehicles on the opposite side of the road, which was waiting at red traffic lights. He was then seen to swerve at a 90 degree angle across the carriageway into Tinkers Lane, causing an oncoming Ford Fiesta to carry out an emergency stop, narrowly missing Charlton - with the defendant then raising his hand and swearing at the Ford driver.

Charlton was fined £30, and ordered to pay costs of £10 and a victim surcharge of £30.