Former Middlesex and Derbyshire cricket player Steven Selwood received a sentence of more than two years in prison for a horrifying drunk driving incident that left a pensioner with potentially fatal injuries. A woman in her 70s was riding in Haslemere, Surrey, when Selwood, 43 at the time, crashed his powerful four-wheel drive car into her.
The shocking occurrence happened when the victim was knocked off her bike by Selwood, who was intoxicated, when he failed to yield at a crossroads. Then, while she lay on the ground, he continued to drive over her, crushing her beneath his car’s wheels. Selwood’s automobile had to be stopped by a member of the public, but he drove away and then returned on foot to the scene.
The victim has long-lasting physical and psychological scars from the incident, and she consented to the broadcast of the gruesome accident footage to educate others about the risks associated with drunk driving. Her life has changed significantly since the incident, as she stated in her impact statement: “My sense of loss is deep, my trust in my world evaporated, my sense of hope gone.”
She added that she no longer laughs and feels overwhelmed by ordinary events, making it difficult for her to handle several problems at once.
On April 28, Selwood was found guilty at Guildford Crown Court of inflicting serious injury by hazardous driving and given a two-year and three-month prison sentence. In addition, he lost his driving privileges for three years. The family of the victim conveyed their appreciation to the bystanders for stopping Selwood’s car.
The Surrey Police’s Sergeant Joe McGregor issued a warning about the perils of drunk driving, saying, “This footage is shocking to watch but it may serve as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by those who choose to drink and drive.”
The victim’s story serves as a sobering reminder of the terrible outcomes that can come from careless judgments made while operating a motor vehicle.