A woman suffered two fractured vertebrae after a head-on collision on the A61.

Paul Campbell, 53, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (February 5) when he admitted one offence of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Antony Farrell, prosecuting, told the court the named victim was driving a campervan on the A61 at Killinghall on June 19 last year.

Her young child was in the campervan too.

The woman saw a car coming towards them on the road, driven by Campbell, which suddenly “hit her head-on and jolted upwards”.

The court heard the force of the collision led the fixtures inside the campervan to hit the woman in the back of the head.

She suffered two fractured vertebrae, Mr Farrell said, adding she also bit down on her tongue.

The woman said she was in “extreme pain” at the time.

Mr Farrell requested the case be adjourned for a victim personal statement to be prepared, which would outline the impact of the incident.

The prosecution believed there was a high level of culpability on Campbell’s behalf, as the collision was “head-on”.

Campbell is of previous good character.

Defendant says he 'blacked out'

Ismael Uddin, defending, disputed the level of Campbell’s culpability.

He said photos of the crash did not show any “skid marks”, nor is there any suggestion "Mr Campbell slammed on the breaks”.

“The defendant says he momentarily blacked out, which would explain why there are no skid marks”, Mr Uddin told the court.

Campbell, of Tomlinson Place in the Rishton area of Lancashire, gave specimens at the roadside but showed no traces of alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of the crash.

Mr Uddin said no medical report has been put forward on behalf of the prosecution.

This means, he says, there is no way of telling if the victim's fractures are “life-changing”.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Campbell, who was disqualified from driving in the interim, will be sentenced at York Magistrates Court on March 24.