87-year-old drives gives up licence after rolling van in 'entirely avoidable' crash in Wisbech

An 87-year-old man has chosen to give up his licence after running a red light, hitting a van- causing it to roll, then hitting the central reservation and a bin.

The incident took place in August 2022 along Cromwell Road in Wisbech.

A trailer attached to the van detached and came to rest on a pedestrian crossing, which was not in use at the time.

The driver of the van suffered cuts and bruises and a broken elbow but officers arrived to find all those involved out of their vehicles, a feeling they described as “amazed and relieved.”

A statement from the force also said: “You can imagine their frustration when they discovered the crash was entirely avoidable.”

The 87-year-old was driving an Astra and was handed a suspended sentence at Peterborough Magistrates’ court on Wednesday for causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He has since voluntarily given up his licence in favour of a bus pass.

PC Joshua Crown said: “This was a nasty crash and it could have been much worse.

“There's no legal age when you must give up driving, you can decide yourself when to stop, but it's very important to keep yourself and others safe on the road.

"Things like taking longer to process information or predict hazards might be signs that you need to get your driving assessed.”

For more advice on experienced drivers, visit the dedicated page on Cambridgeshire Police’s website.