'I lost my leg in crash but driver was only fined £500 - something needs to change'

Dean Fellow's beingness changed everlastingly portion retired connected his motorbike, erstwhile a car went done a junction, wiping him retired and leaving him with devastating injuries that culminated successful him losing a leg

A motorcyclist who mislaid his limb successful a horrific crash has called for tougher sentences aft the operator was fixed a good of conscionable £500.

Dean Fellow's beingness changed everlastingly erstwhile helium was forced to acquisition a through-knee amputation of his near limb successful April 2022. He had been retired riding adjacent Wolverhampton erstwhile a car went done a junction erstwhile helium had close of mode and smashed into him.

The motorist was charged with driving without owed attraction and attention, and received a £500 good and six punishment points connected his licence, thing 49-year-old Dean said was similar they “got distant with hardly a slap connected the wrist”.

Speaking retired during Road Safety Week, Dean told the Mirror helium has been near not lone physically injured but besides psychologically scarred by his ordeal – thing helium says has been compounded by the airy condemnation fixed to the operator of the car.

IT technologist Dean said: “Clearly the information I had to person an amputation has been perfectly devastating, but the 1 happening that made maine aggravated much than thing other was the condemnation the operator of the car received. In galore ways, that has been arsenic hard to woody with arsenic my injury.

"At the precise least, I hoped for immoderate magnitude of disqualification, truthful the consequences impacted the operator successful immoderate mode arsenic a reminder of what helium had done. But what helium really got was truthful acold from that – helium was fixed the aforesaid magnitude of points arsenic if helium had utilized his mobile telephone portion driving.

"This does not successful immoderate mode recognise the interaction of what had happened, and the condemnation helium received was a shock. I truly privation sentencing to beryllium looked astatine and for judges to use this routinely. There doesn’t presently look to beryllium immoderate benignant of rationale down the sentences that are being given, what the motorist has done seldom seems to beryllium recognised done the punishment they receive. This needs to beryllium changed.”

Research conducted by instrumentality steadfast Slater and Gordon to people Road Safety Week showed that much than 60 per cent of radical hold that tougher sentencing for postulation offences is needed. Dean would similar to spot a reappraisal of sentencing that recognises the severity and consequences of driving offences, which instrumentality into relationship the suffering of the victim.

The life-changing collision happened connected a agrarian roadworthy done the West Midlands countryside, conscionable earlier 10am connected April 30, 2022, astatine a junction wherever Dean had close of way. He credits the Midlands Air Ambulance for redeeming his life, with some a conveyance archetypal responder and chopper attending the country arsenic helium laic critically injured.

The car operator said the junction had faded ‘give way’ markings, though determination were besides signs indicating the request to stop. The faded markings influenced the determination by the CPS not to prosecute a much superior complaint against the operator – thing Dean has said helium “just cannot comprehend”.

Dean, from Stafford, present struggles with ongoing symptom and intelligence problems, and has besides been forced to standard backmost his occupation to 3 days a week, arsenic helium battles the intelligence interaction and fatigue aft his traumatic injury. He has been fitted with a prosthetic leg, which has allowed him to regain immoderate independence, and has had to alteration to an automatic conveyance and reconfigure his upland motorcycle to alteration him to get out.

“I bash inactive flinch sometimes erstwhile I’m down the instrumentality due to the fact that of what happened to me. I utilized to emotion my motorbike but I can’t deliberation of going retired again conscionable yet. I’m an technologist truthful I’m precise practically minded, truthful I volition ever find a mode to get on. But I person been highly frustrated astatine uncovering the limitations of what I tin bash arsenic a effect of what happened.”

Dean has been supported successful securing a colony against the operator successful the collision by instrumentality steadfast Slater and Gordon. Interim payments were secured to alteration adaptations to Dean’s home, and to let him to entree rehabilitation and a scope of therapies including physiotherapy and intelligence support, and precocious a last bundle has been agreed.

Richard Crabtree, main lawyer astatine Slater and Gordon, who supported Dean successful his claim, said: “This has been an unimaginable ordeal for Dean, whose beingness was changed successful an instant done this collision, which was perfectly nary responsibility of his own.

“While Dean has been capable to payment from bespoke rehabilitation and therapies, which person supported his betterment good and person enabled him to statesman to rebuild his life, the carnal and intelligence impacts person been profound. Understandably, the condemnation fixed to the operator has been hard for him to woody with.

“We would echo Dean’s calls for a reappraisal of sentencing for motoring offences, truthful that justness tin beryllium seen and felt to beryllium done by survivors.”