A former international athlete knocked down by a car while out jogging managed to get to her feet and run more than half a mile home – despite suffering a fractured spine.
Bobby Clay – once one of Britain’s most promising teenage runners – was struck in the lower back in Wingham, near Canterbury, sending her tumbling into a grass bank and onto the road.
But in a state of shock, she stood up and was able to jog home, only realising the extent of her injuries after losing all feeling below her waist.
The driver, 66-year-old Janet Carpenter, admitted causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving after she failed to slow down or stop when dazzled by low sunlight.
The collision happened at about 5.40pm on October 4, 2023, in Staple Road, near its junction with Pettocks Lane.
Carpenter, of High Street, Wingham, had a clean licence with no previous offences since passing her test in 1979.
Ms Clay, now in her late 20s, told Folkestone Magistrates’ Court she was left in shock after the crash and instinctively tried to get home.
“I was so confused and shocked. I wanted to be home, not here,” she said in a statement read to the court.
“But I noticed I wasn’t running properly, I was limping heavily. Eventually, I couldn’t feel anything below my waist.”
Ms Clay reached her family’s home in Wingham and was taken to the QEQM Hospital in Margate, where doctors discovered a fracture to her lower spine.
The former Sir Roger Manwood’s pupil was kept in hospital for eight hours before being sent home to recover, but told the court the pain continued for weeks and still lingers.
“This has had a real impact on my physical and mental health. There was no need for this collision to have happened,” she said.
“Six months afterwards, I had to go back to the doctor. The pain is always there, niggling away.
“I’ve had regular flashbacks. If a car comes close by, it makes me jump. I find myself not going out with friends, socialising.”
She said her then-boyfriend had to become her full-time carer, which put a strain on their relationship and ultimately led to them breaking up.
Ms Clay, who competed for Great Britain from the age of 15 to 19, was a European youth champion, and in 2015 finished ahead of five-time Olympian Jo Pavey at the Great North City Games.
She was regarded as one of the most exciting young middle-distance runners in the country, winning national and international medals.
But her promising sporting career was cut short when, at just 19, she was diagnosed with osteoporosis – a condition that leaves bones fragile and prone to fractures.
In court, her injuries from the collision were described as both physical and psychological.
Carpenter’s solicitor, Alan Land, said his client had not been speeding, but suffered a momentary lapse in judgement after being affected by the setting sun.
“She passed her test in May 1979 and has no previous offence, not even a parking ticket,” he said.
“She knows the road and has driven back and forth on it to and from her workplace.”
He added that she had stopped to assist Ms Clay immediately after the impact and was not under the influence of drink or drugs.
District Judge William Nelson said the injuries were “life-changing” and told Carpenter she had fallen below the standard of a competent driver.
“Cars are inherently dangerous machines and must be used as carefully as possible,” he said.
“There were physical injuries at the start and significant psychological harm.
“You should have reduced your speed, and you drove below what is expected from a competent driver.”
He imposed a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work, along with £250 in prosecution costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
