A WOMAN who left a cyclist with life-changing injuries after her car was involved in a collision in Warrington has been jailed.
Jenny Clayton appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where she was sentenced to a year and six months prison.
The 51-year-old of Norley Close, Warrington, had earlier pleaded guilty to serious injury by dangerous driving.
During the hearing, the court heard how at 4.15pm on Friday April 14 last year, Clayton was driving a white Fiat Qubo when she struck a cyclist using a pedestrian crossing on Priestley Street, Warrington.
The impact of the collision left the cyclist, a 47-year-old local man, fighting for his life in hospital.
He sustained a number of injuries including a life-changing brain injury.
Clayton was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drug driving after a failing a roadside test.
A blood test revealed morphine was present in Clayton’s blood at the time of the collision, but it was under the legal limit.
Clayton was subsequently charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Following the sentencing, Sergeant Andrew Dennison said: “This case demonstrates the life-long repercussions of driving dangerously, and Clayton’s flippant attitude towards road safety has resulted in a totally innocent man sustaining life-changing injuries.
“Thankfully, she will spend the next 18 months behind bars where she will no longer pose a threat to road users.
“I hope that the conclusion of the case and the sentence handed to Clayton will give the victim’s family some closure and allow them to move forward with their lives knowing justice has been served.”
