The parents of a boy who suffered horrendous injuries to his legs when an intoxicated driver ran him and his dog over have spoken of their son’s emotional and physical suffering as a result.
John Moncaster was at work on September 22 when he received a phone call telling him his son, Daniel, 17, had been run over while walking the family dog, Nico.
Anxious and not knowing the full extent of Daniel’s injuries, John travelled to Carnarvon Place in Bingham to find his son lying in the road with wounds to his legs.
Nico had also suffered serious injuries and required urgent care. Despite the best efforts of vets he later died.
John said: “It was gut-wrenching to see Daniel on the floor and see how serious his injuries were.
“He is still suffering now and will be for some time. His legs required extensive surgery to repair including plastic surgery and skin grafts.
“It’s incredibly upsetting for him and he has pretty much been bedridden for the past six weeks.
“Losing Nico has also taken a huge toll on his mental health - it’s just so awful that this happened to him.”
Daniel was walking Nico near the family home when the Moncaster’s neighbours heard the screech of car tyres and a loud bang.
The driver, 38-year-old Andrew Pittman, had driven around 400 metres from the scene to his home in Carnarvon Close. He was arrested that day and charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while under the influence of drugs and criminal damage.
He was sentenced to two years at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, November 2, banned from driving for four years and ordered to take an extended retest.
Sharon Moncaster, Daniel’s mum, said: “People need to understand the potential consequences of their actions.
“Daniel is suffering both physically and mentally as a result of the recklessness of one person. The sentence isn’t a silver lining but I hope that Pittman has the opportunity to reflect on the damage he has inflicted on our son.”
Daniel is now recovering at home.
Detective Constable Sarah Stables, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a horrendous incident where a boy and a family dog were left for dead.
“I can’t begin to imagine how awful this must have been for Daniel and his family who are working hard to aid him in his recovery. I understand that for Daniel and his family this will take some time to recover from and we will continue to support them.
“Drug and drink driving costs lives, it’s as simple as that. Pittman showed no respect for the law and no consideration for anyone else on the road and was a danger from the second he got behind the wheel, knowing he was intoxicated.
"Daniel and his family now have to live with the consequences of his selfish actions.
"I hope this sentencing also reassures the public that we remain vigilant and we will continue to take robust action against those caught drug or drink driving, even during these challenging times."
