A 64-year-old man accidentally crashed his vehicle into another car after attempting to navigate around a notorious Burton roundabout.
Jaswant Atwal caused an early-morning rush-hour crash on the roundabout linking Orchard Street and St Peter’s Bridge which has become an accident blackspot over the years due to an increase in traffic and its nearby pedestrian crossings.
Atwal appeared at North Staffordshire Justice Centre recently where he admitted driving without due car and attention.
The court heard that at 7,40am, on October 16, last year, Atwal was driving a Volkswagen Passat on the A5189 roundabout junction with St Peter's Bridge.
He was was driving along Orchard Street intending to enter the roundabout. At the same time a Ford Ka had entered the roundabout from Branston Road intending to turn right onto St Peters Bridge.
The defendant failed to give way to the Ford Ka which was negotiating the roundabout and caused the crash, the court was told.
As a result of the crash extensive damage was caused to both vehicles and slight injury was sustained by both drivers.
The court heard the road surface was in good condition though wet/damp and the visibility was good.
Atwal, of Charnwood Avenue, Littleover, was fined £200, and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge. His licence was also endorsed with five points.
Troubled roundabout
The roundabout linking Orchard Street, Branston Road and Lichfield Street has long been a bone of contention with motorists.
It is situated on one of the main routes in and out of Burton and is the main link from the town centre to busy St Peter’s Bridge.
Roundabouts can cause havoc and delays at the best of times, but this island is littered with pedestrian crossings, which due to the high level of homes in the nearby area, are necessary but leads to a bottleneck of traffic squeezing through during rush hour.
Traffic stops on the island, causing problems in all directions.
