Neighbours ran to help two schoolgirls, 12, after a former Brookside actor crashed into them.
Louis Emerick Grant, 64, of Liscard, Wirral, was driving his Honda car on Poulton Road in Wallasey on October 2, 2022, when he hit two schoolgirls. The two friends started to cross the road to get to a shop on the other side at around 5.15pm.
The girls reached the centre hatched markings in the middle of the road when Grant’s car was seen to cut the corner of the right-hand bend, enter the centre hatched markings and crash into them.
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A passer-by, who was first on the scene, was getting out of her car when she saw the aftermath of the incident unfold.
She told the ECHO: "I was getting out of my own car, I heard a thud and as I turned around I saw a girl in the air. I didn't see the impact I just heard it, but when I turned I saw her in the road. The little girl who got hit second stood up but just collapsed."
The woman, who works as an assistant health practitioner, ran over to the two girls, who she described as being conscious, with one more badly injured than the other. She said the driver of the car stopped at the scene and immediately phoned for an ambulance.
As she attended to one of the girls, another witness looked after the other.
She said: "I checked the first girl, she was conscious, in a lot of pain but conscious. The other girl was in a worse way so I knew that's who I needed to pay attention to. I just talked to her and told her to keep her eyes open and focus on me.
"I tried to make her laugh. I could see she was going into shock so my friend upstairs grabbed a blanket and threw them over her, and my neighbour got cushions to put behind her - she was already sat up."
Other passers-by also rushed to help the girls and diverted traffic until the emergency services arrived and closed the road. The woman added: "People in this area were absolutely fantastic. At the time I just think the adrenaline kicked in and I just knew what to do but when police and paramedics arrived I walked away."
It wasn't until she got home that the woman said the impact of the incident hit her. She added: "Anyone getting hit by a car is bad enough but two young girls."
Another woman, who lives in the area, said: “It’s scary when it’s so close to home, it’s not nice to think about.”
One of the girls suffered a fractured leg and the other, a fractured leg and ankle, a broken nose, broken jaw and broken teeth. Both were unable to return to school for several months after spending time in Alder Hey hospital.
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed they would both require further surgery. Grant, who played Mick Johnson in the Channel 4 show, was not seen to slow down or brake on the approach to the girls.
His speed was not excessive but he did not slow down as he approached the right hand bend and into the seasonal sun. Grant was breathalysed at the scene but there was no evidence he had taken drink or drugs or that he had been using his mobile phone at the time of the crash.
Grant blamed the sun, but accepted that if his vision was impaired he should have reduced his speed. He was wearing prescription glasses at the time, which react to the sun.
He apologised for this incident and has been fully cooperative throughout the investigation, CPS has said. He was arrested and charged with two offences of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on May 23, 2023 and pleaded guilty.
He will be sentenced on June 21, 2023 at Wirral Magistrates' Court.
District Crown Prosecutor Linda Melia, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: “This was an extremely distressing incident and the two girls suffered serious injuries as a result of what happened on that day. Louis Emerick Grant was not speeding but admitted that he couldn’t see clearly because of the sun so he should have slowed down. The sun visor of the car was not down.
“He has been fully cooperative and remorseful throughout the investigation and has apologised on numerous occasions. He has been in contact with both families and has apologised to them too. He tested negatively at the roadside for drink and drugs.
“When we drive a car we are in control of something powerful that, if we lose concentration or clear vision for a minute, can cause serious injury, even death. It’s clear Mr Grant did not mean to injure these girls, but the events of that day are a lesson that, when we are at the wheel of a car, care and attention are needed at all times.
“When we don’t drive carefully or considerately we are breaking the law and this case is an example of how serious the results of that can be. The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the girls and their families for their help in bringing this prosecution.”
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