A woman has pleaded guilty today [12 June 2023] at Swindon Crown Court of three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, after colliding with a Wiltshire teenager, as he was driving home to Malmesbury in Wiltshire. The collision left the man fighting for his life.

 

On the evening of 15 October 2021, William Pike, who was 18 at the time, was driving home from Cirencester along the A429 with two friends when they were hit by Chloe Thynne, who was travelling in the opposite direction.

It transpired that Ms Thynne, who had previous convictions for driving offences and was driving without car insurance at the time, had crossed the central white line over to Mr Pike’s side of the road before colliding with his car.

 

A young boy wearing a white top
William Pike before the accident

Despite seeing the damage caused to Mr Pike’s vehicle, she fled the scene of the accident without calling emergency services or alerting anyone and left him and his friends in the car with serious and life-threatening injuries.

Ms Thynne was later located at her home address. It took over an hour for Mr Pike to be extricated from his vehicle before being taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

He was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), where he remained in a critical condition for the first 10 days and underwent several lengthy and complex operations. He suffered a brain injury and complex orthopaedic injuries due to the collision.

Thompsons Solicitors is supporting Mr Pike and his family with an ongoing civil claim in relation to the accident.

According to Mr Pike’s family, the collision has had a devastating impact on Mr Pike and they are still living with the horrific consequences almost two years later.

Mr Pike’s mother, Rebecca Pike, said: "Dangerous driving can have life-changing consequences for the victims and their families, as has been the case in this instance. The impact this accident has had on our family has been utterly devastating.

“What I was faced with that night will haunt me until the day I die. Having lost my husband and brother in recent years, to be initially then told that Will had a 20 per cent survival rate was incomprehensible. It is astonishing to know that she just left my son and his friends without alerting anyone, as my son lay there fighting for his life.

“William was so excited with life, having just passed his driving test, about to sign an employment contract with Waitrose and looking forward to a holiday in Portugal, and yet in a split second, the defendant chose to selfishly get behind the wheel of a car and change his life forever.”

Mr Pike’s lawyer at the national law firm Thompsons, Lisa Gunner, said: “It’s unimaginable what William had to experience that night due to one individual’s reckless driving.

“The collision has not only had serious ramifications for William, but also his family, who have had to experience the trauma of seeing their much-loved family member suffer both physical and psychological injuries.

“We hope this can give William and his family some closure.”

Sentencing of Chloe Thynne has been adjourned until 5 September 2023.