‘Thick boots’ stopped Audi driver braking during Doe Lea crash, court hears

Sydney Collinson, aged 29, “panicked” when the A4’s footbrake was unresponsive approaching queuing traffic at Junction 29 of the M1 on October 19.

Chesterfield Magistrates Court heard that, unable to slow down, she “had no choice” but to try to squeeze between two lanes and the cars sat side-by-side in them.

However she smashed into two cars, rear-ending one of them and leaving its driver and passenger with whiplash, back and knee injuries.

Beckly Allsop, prosecuting, said: “Collinson was spoken to at the scene – her vehicle was also heavily damaged.

“A police examiner confirmed the footbrake system was totally defect-free. His opinion was the footbrake would have overridden any cruise control.”

Ms Allsop said Collinson was “a lady of previous good character”.

Collinson, of Gorse Bank Lane, Baslow, admitted driving without due care and attention.

John Hay, mitigating, said Collinson, who had never been before the courts before and “never had so much as a penalty point” had been left “traumatised” by the accident.

He said: “It was simply a moment of panic as she couldn’t bring the vehicle to brake.

“She thinks the explanation could be this – that she was wearing some quite thick boots with rubber soles and wonders if she had been braking on the floor rather than on the brake.”

Collinson was fined £403, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £161 surcharge and given six penalty points on her driving licence.