Driver Imprisoned Following Collision with Woman on Motorway Hard Shoulder

A motorist has received a prison sentence after his BMW struck a woman on a motorway hard shoulder, resulting in severe, life-altering injuries. According to police, the incident occurred in October 2021 when Luke Coleman was attempting to undertake other vehicles on the M1, close to Redbourn in Hertfordshire. Coleman, 34, from Murrain Drive in Maidstone, Kent, was convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a trial. He received a sentence of three years and nine months in prison at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday. Hertfordshire Police specified that the collision took place around 18:35 GMT on 26 October of that year, between junctions 10 and nine. The victim, a woman in her 20s, was standing next to her silver Vauxhall Astra on the hard shoulder at the time of the impact. Detectives reported that she now suffers from a prosthetic eye, numerous breaks and fractures, and ongoing mobility problems. Authorities stated that Coleman attempted to persuade the jury that a lorry had compelled him to move onto the hard shoulder. Chief Inspector Steve O’Keefe commented: “Coleman was solely responsible for this collision having chosen to drive dangerously by undertaking moving traffic and driving on the hard shoulder, putting other road users and himself directly in harm’s way.” Additionally, he was disqualified from driving for a period of four years and 10 months.