Police officer knocked off bike and dragged 30m down road by motorist with 'poor eyesight'

A police officer was knocked off his bike and dragged 30 metres along the road by a driver who was so poor sighted he immediately had his licence revoked. 

Following the incident Northumbria Police has issued a warning urging people to make sure they regularly get their eyesight tested. 

The 68-year-old driver pleaded guilty to careless driving after the incident in Cramlington which left Sergeant Stephen Carr needing skin grafts.

Off-duty Sergeant Carr was left was knocked from his bike while cycling around the Plessey Checks roundabout in Cramlington in March, The Chronicle reports.

The driver of the car stopped and claimed he hadn’t seen the Sergeant before subsequently failing a roadside eye test.

He was unable to read a number plate from 20 metres away and had his licence revoked by the DVLA the same day.

Last month the driver appeared at Bedlington Magistrates' Court where he pleaded guilty to careless driving. 

The man was disqualified from driving for six months and fined £120 plus £85 court costs.

Sergeant Carr suffered nasty injuries to his legs, which required skin grafts, and was off work for three months with an extended phased return.

Head of Northumbria Police’s Road Safety team, Sergeant Glen Robson, said: “Thankfully our officer has made a full recovery and is back in the saddle – albeit with some scarring.

“The driver did not go out with the intention of hurting anyone that day but in this case his eyesight had deteriorated over time and he seemed unaware that it had become so poor.

“Every driver is responsible for ensuring their own fitness to drive and that includes ensuring their eyesight is road ready and they can read a licence plate from at least 20m/66ft away.

“If you’ve noticed a change in your eyesight or you can’t pass the 20m test then do not hesitate to book an eye test straight away and stay out of the driver’s seat until you are confident your eyes are healthy or you have the correct glasses."

“Luckily our Sergeant made a good recovery and has returned to work, it could have easily been a story with a much more tragic outcome.”