Doncaster dangerous driver caused shattering injuries after overtaking on blind bend

Irvin Mpofu was driving a silver VW Golf from High Melton towards Barnborough, on April 13, 2019, at an estimated 70mph, when the limit is 50mph, when he overtook a car on a blind bend.

On the other side, he hit a yellow Honda Civic, which rotated clockwise and left the road, and his VW rolled over at least once.

"The defendant overtook the vehicle and was in the wrong lane and within a matter of seconds the collision took place," said prosecutor Ian West.

The Honda driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be cut free by the fire service. Experts found the visibility was good, the road surface was dry, and no vehicle defects were to blame for the crash.

Mpofu was banned for 16 months in 2016 after he was convicted of failing to provide a specimen while in charge of a vehicle.

In a statement, the Honda driver said the crash had changed his life "physically, mentally and financially," and now he suffers daily pain in his back and knee.

He is worried another injury to his knee will mean he loses the leg, and suffers breathing problems because of a broken nose, and shooting pain as a result of a broken elbow.

He was forced to borrow £5,000 while he was off work, and continues to experience flashbacks and depression.

Gordon Stables, mitigating, said: "This was an overtake which he didn't complete in time.”

He said the crash victim has "an unanswerable civil claim" which would pay for further surgery and compensation for lost earnings. He said the father-of-four, a community mental health practitioner, "deeply regrets" the accident.

Mpofu, 40, of Auckland Road, Mexborough, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Recorder Mark McKone told him this was "not a black and white overtake on a blind bend."

He sentenced Mpofu to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered him to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work.

He also banned him for three years and ordered him to pay £750 towards costs.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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