A woman has been given a suspended jail sentence after overtaking two vehicles in dark conditions before colliding with a motorcyclist who suffered horrific injuries and lost a leg.

Rowena Ledgeway, 33, was driving her VW Golf on the A59 between Harrogate and York when the horror crash occurred at about 5.45am on November 24, 2022, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Holly Clegg said that Ledgeway overtook a Vauxhall Scirocco and then a lorry at over the speed limit and was on the opposite side of the road when a collision occurred with an oncoming motorbike ridden by Mathew Saville, who was tossed into the air and landed on a grass verge.

Mr Saville, from York, suffered catastrophic injuries including a broken shoulder blade, a fractured elbow, a broken forearm, multiple fractures to his hand and a leg wound to his right thigh from which the bone was protruding through the skin and a seriously injured lower leg which was sticking out at an abnormal angle.

He was taken by ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary’s emergency department where he underwent 20 hours of surgery and ultimately had a leg amputated below the knee.

Ledgeway was originally charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving but denied the allegation and, following negotiations between prosecution and defence counsel and the evidence of an expert witness, this was ultimately downgraded to causing serious injury by careless driving.

'He remembers thinking he might die on the grass verge'

Ledgeway, of Princess Corner, Whixley, admitted the offence when she appeared in court for sentence today (January 29).

Prosecuting barrister Ms Clegg said that Ledgeway, who is now heavily pregnant, was driving her Volkswagen car along the A59 near Kirk Hammerton when she began to overtake the Scirocco and the HGV.

“The defendant’s vehicle was travelling at over the (60mph) speed limit when overtaking,” added Ms Clegg.

She said that, according to witnesses, Ledgeway’s vehicle was travelling at between 70mph and 75mph before the collision with Mr Saville’s motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction.

Ms Ledgeway, who was travelling in the York direction, tried to steer away from the motorbike but her vehicle clipped the back of the HGV and collided with the motorbike.

Ms Clegg added:

Emergency surgery

Police and an ambulance were called and Mr Saville was taken to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and several operations thereafter. He had multiple skin grafts to his lower leg and ultimately his right leg had to be amputated below the knee.

He was fitted with a prosthetic limb and had to move house to accommodate his hospital equipment and initially needed a wheelchair to get around.

He had been receiving ongoing treatment including physiotherapy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and hip therapy. He suffered ongoing pain in his right hand where surgeons had fitted metalwork but ultimately learnt to walk with the prosthesis.

He had to get a taxi everywhere because he couldn’t drive anymore and couldn’t work anymore because he had been employed in manual labour.

He had had to move house again and the property had been fitted with a ramp, a stairlift and a downstairs bedroom to accommodate his disabilities and lack of mobility, which meant he couldn’t do everyday tasks.

Ms Clegg said that Mr Saville had an “older style” lamp fitted to his headlights which was dimmer than more modern ones, but he was nevertheless “there to be seen” by other motorists.

She said that Ledgeway was driving “at a speed inappropriate for the road conditions given that it was dark and damp” and performed an “unsafe” overtaking manoeuvre. 

'Genuinely sorry'

Defence barrister Richard Wright KC said Ledgeway was “genuinely sorry for the harm that she has caused”.

“She is an otherwise responsible, caring, public-spirited, decent person who on one occasion made an error of judgement, albeit an error of judgement with serious consequences,” he added.

He said that Ledgeway’s actions were “completely out of character”.

Judge Simon Hickey told Ledgeway that, despite Mr Saville having dimmer headlights, “everybody agrees he was there to be seen and therefore you should have seen him”.

He described Ledgeway’s overtaking manoeuvre as “reckless and negligent”, adding: “You shouldn’t have overtaken.”

He said the “drastic” consequences of Ledgeway’s actions had resulted in horrific, “life-changing” injuries to a young man.

“He’s still suffering, he’s changed house numerous times, his house has been adapted, he simply can’t work manually anymore, and he can’t really help around the house,” added Mr Hickey.

However, he said there was strong personal mitigation in Ledgeway’s case as she was otherwise of “impeccable character” and had shown clear remorse.

“Nothing I do can really meet the justice of the case where somebody loses a lower limb,” added the judge.

Ledgeway was given a four-month prison sentence, but this was suspended for two years. She was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154.