A DRIVER hit a pedestrian before speeding away and leaving him in the road with serious brain injuries and multiple skull fractures.

Thomas White was thrown into the air after being struck by Morgan Moon, 20, from Tredegar.

The defendant was at the wheel of a Honda Civic car on Avenue De Clichy in Merthyr Tydfil when the victim was crossing the road having walked down Castle Street.

The collision occurred just before midnight on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

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Mr White, aged 29, landed near the kerb and woke up in hospital two days later having sustained serious injuries which included bleeding and swelling of the brain, multiple skull fractures and extensive bruising.

Moon carried on driving and was arrested the following day when he went to Merthyr Tydfil police station.

The defendant, of Queen Victoria Street, admitted causing serious injury by careless driving.

At Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, Judge Vanessa Francis was asked to take that guilty plea into consideration in mitigation when passing sentence.

Moon was sent to a young offender institution five months, suspended for 18 months.

The defendant must complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement, made the subject of a six-month electronically monitored curfew between 10pm and 6am and ordered to pay his victim £200 in compensation.

He was banned from driving for five years and will have to sit an extended retest if he wants to regain his driving licence.

Louisa Campbell, a district crown prosecutor with CPS Cymru-Wales, said following the sentence: “Moon was not paying proper attention to his driving which caused this collision.

“His lack of care has resulted in someone being seriously injured and is a reminder to all drivers to remain focussed behind the wheel.

“The CPS takes incidents of poor driving seriously, especially where someone has been injured.

“Mr White is still recovering from his injuries and we hope he returns to full health soon.”