A car sales business owner involved in a crash which injured a toddler was fined £990 today.
Julie Caruana, 41, struck the back of a vehicle in Glasgow city centre on 29th March, 2023.
Caruana – who sells cars in Paisley, Renfrewshire – stated that her foot “slipped” as she approached a set of traffic lights.
Caruana’s BMW hit the car in front which contained a one-year-old boy who bit his lip during the impact and was taken to hospital.
She was later found to have been driving without insurance on the date of the collision.
Caruana pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing injury to the boy by careless driving.
She also admitted charges of driving without insurance on two separate occasions.
The court heard the car which had the boy in it had stopped at a red traffic light just before the white line.
Prosecutor Josh Dowie said: “The car was stationary for 10 to 15 seconds when Caruana continued and collided into the rear of the vehicle.
“This caused the car in front to shunt forward just across the white stop line.
“The boy bit down on his bottom lip which caused a cut and he was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children.”
No further diagnosis was given on the boy’s recovery.
Caruana was found by officers to be driving without insurance.
The court was told of an earlier occasion when Caruana’s BMW was spotted driving on the wrong direction in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, on 12th February, 2023.
Officers found that Caruana was without insurance on that date as well.
Chris Devine, defending, told the court that his client and her husband own Paisley Car Sales and car wash firm Paisley Car Spa.
The lawyer stated: “In relation to the crash, she slowed down behind the vehicle.
“Her recollection is she stopped and her foot slipped off the pedal and she shunted onto the vehicle in front.”
Sheriff Mary Shields disqualified Caruana, of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, for nine months as well as ordered her to pay the fine.