Ford Fiesta Thief Targets Pensioner in Shocking Hit-and-Run
Bill Nicholson swiped a Ford Fiesta from a Tuxford driveway on 15 August 2023. He then drove recklessly to dodge police, ending in disaster.
Pensioner Left Fighting for Life After Horrific Collision
As Nicholson sped along Doncaster Road, Langold, near Worksop, the stolen Fiesta mounted the pavement on the wrong side of the road. It smashed into a pensioner walking nearby.
The elderly victim was left sprawled in the street with life-threatening injuries. Alarmed shoppers and passersby rushed to his aid as police arrived on scene to administer CPR and vital emergency care.
Members of the public helped hold Nicholson until paramedics arrived. He was arrested shortly after.
Serious Injuries and Court Justice
The pensioner was airlifted to hospital and needed emergency surgery. Injuries included a fractured pelvis, two broken legs, multiple broken ribs, and a brain bleed.
Nicholson stayed silent during questioning but was later charged. He pleaded guilty to serious charges including causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, vehicle theft, and possessing tools for theft.
Earlier Crime Caught on Camera
Nicholson was also convicted of aggravated vehicle taking and using a fake number plate after a separate incident on 23 June 2023.
He and a 17-year-old accomplice crashed a stolen Ford Kuga in Langold Country Park after being spotted trying to steal another car. A local resident reported the pair trespassing on his Worksop driveway before they fled.
The police found a large knife in the Kuga, which had been reported stolen days before in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
Sentencing Brings Some Relief
Twenty-year-old Nicholson, from Carlton in Lindrick, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on 8 December. He was handed five years in a young offenders’ institution.
The 17-year-old was given a nine-month youth offender panel referral after pleading guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and knife possession.
