Hair stylist, 24, flipped Mini Cooper on roundabout while distractedly waving to pal in another car
Kimberley Howard had to be cut free from the wreckage and suffered from lost teeth, bleeding legs and a cut hand
A HAIR stylist flipped her Mini Cooper and was left badly injured after she lost control of her vehicle while waving to a friend in another car.
Kimberley Howard, 24, was beeping her horn at a roundabout when she ploughed into a third vehicle being used for a driving lesson in February this year.
Her Mini overturned in the crash and ended up on its side leaving Howard with serious injuries.
She had to be cut free from the wreckage and suffered lost teeth, bleeding legs and a cut hand and was treated at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.
The driver of the L-plated Hyundai car escaped uninjured in the crash on a suburban street in Sale.
Police investigated whether Howard from Timperley was on her mobile phone at the time of the impact on February 13 this year but found no evidence a call was being made.
Tests revealed she had cut her hand on the phone when the screen smashed at the point of impact.
At Manchester Magistrates Court, Howard who runs a mobile hairdressing service, admitted careless driving but escaped with six penalty points on her licence.
She was also fined £400 and ordered to pay £190 in costs and surcharges.
Howard said: ''I had left my friend's house down the road that morning. I came round the roundabout and she was going a different way. I beeped and waved at her but I went round the roundabout and then the crash happened. I don’t really remember how it happened.”
Prosecuting Tim McArdle said: “It was shortly after lunch time at around 12.45pm. An eye witness was in her vehicle and saw a car beeping in front of her.
“She believed it was to attract the attention of another driver. She was beeping at a friend as they travelled around the roundabout.
“As she exited the roundabout the car swerved slightly left and hit the passenger side of another car which caused Miss Howard’s car to flip on to its side.
“Miss Howard was trapped in the car, her hand was badly cut which could have been from her phone screen as that was smashed.
“The police attended and described how after investigating a number of collisions suspected she was distracted by something in the car - it could have been her phone.
“Although after checking there was no evidence of a call in progress at the time of the crash, it is unknown if it could have been used for something else.
“She must have been travelling at some speed for the result to be what it was. There were no injuries to others. It was on a Tuesday afternoon in a residential area.”
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Sentencing chairman of the magistrates Caroline Green told Howard: “I understand you do mobile work so it is very, very important to have your driving licence.
“But we need every road user to be conscious and you need to be very, very careful. If you get any more points you will be disqualified.
“Something happened on that afternoon and it was a rather nasty accident, and it was fortunate that not more people were hurt.
“Given the trauma you have been through medically to get over this incident, you need to be careful - not only for the next three years but for the rest of your driving career.”
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