AN 18-year-old Welwyn Garden City man appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, October 26, after fleeing the scene of a car accident in July this year.

Oliver Spence, of Howlands, Welwyn Garden City, was sentenced to a 200 hours community punishment order, a one year ban from driving and 22 points on his licence, when he passes his test, after pleading guilty to seven driving-related charges.

Mr Spence, who does not yet hold a driving licence, crashed the car he was driving on the night of July 1, when he was behind the wheel of a friend's Vauxhall Astra.

At the time of the incident he had been travelling along Great North Road in Welwyn Garden City.

Friends of Spence were in the cars in front and behind him.

Miss Jane Stansfield for the prosecution told the court how the accident had happened when he tried to follow his friends' car in front.

In doing soSpence overtook another car, before realising there was not enough to time to complete the manoeuvre.

He tried to stop his car from colliding with the oncoming vehicle by swerving away from it. However, the car that Spence was driving hit the kerb and veered back into the road, crashing into the oncoming vehicle.

Following the accident, Spence and his passenger got out of the car they had been in and got into the car being driven by one of their friends behind them.

But once he reached his home, Spence broke down and confessed what had happened to his mother, Linda.

Police visited Spence at his home in the early hours of the next morning, and he admitted to them what he had done. Spence's mother told the court last Friday how her son had been in a state of shock after the accident.

The driver of the other vehicle, a Ford Escort, suffered whiplash and bruising as a result of the crash. The force of the collision meant his car ended up in a ditch.

Spence had received a 12 month disqualification from driving and a £500 fine for motoring offences in August of this year.

Mr Roy Roebuck, for the defence, attributed these offences to Spence having fallen in with the wrong crowd.

On Friday, october 26, Spence was charged with dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident. He was also charged with five other counts of driving-related offences. His parents have imposed a curfew on him and his ban from driving will last for a year and will remain in force until he takes an extended driving test.

November 6, 2001 10:30