Mobility vehicle incidents continue to make headlines following powerchair hit and run
A man has been sentenced by Southwark Crown Court to 24 months imprisonment for running over two elderly women with his electric wheelchair.
Aaron Ali, 40, was found guilty on 28th of September for harassment, actual bodily harm, criminal damage and the possession of Class B Drugs.
The court heard that Aaron reversed his electric wheelchair into a 90-year-old and an 85-year-old woman who were waiting at a bus stop. After knocking both women down, Aaron then drove off on his mobility equipment.
Using CCTV footage from a nearby shop as evidence, police arrested Aaron on 18th June.
As well as injuring the two women, Aaron was found to be carrying a small amount of cannabis. He also damaged a laptop after he pushed it onto the floor during an interview with detectives while in custody.
Consequently, Aaron was charged with possession of a class B drug and one count of criminal damage, pleading guilty.
According to the Metropolitan Police, Detective Constable Iain Hill, of Bexley CID, said. “Ali has used a means in aiding movement as a weapon, injuring two vulnerable people in this despicable act showing absolutely no remorse for his actions.
“He showed a blatant disregard for the welfare of the women he injured with his electric wheelchair. After hitting them, he drove off in attempt to avoid the consequences of his actions.
“Even after being arrested by police, Ali acted in an aggressive manner towards police and caused more than £1,000 of damage to a detective’s laptop after he lost his temper and threw it on the floor.
“The sentence received reflects the severity of the offences. This was a cowardly attack on two vulnerable victims and this offender has been brought to justice.”
However, the news of mobility scooter accidents is on the rise, with the Department of Transport reporting almost three times the amount of scooter accidents in 2016 compared to 2012.
This has caused figures within the mobility sector to try and tackle this issue, such as People First Mobility’s scooter training day and Ableworld’s free scooter proficiency sessions. It has also left people calling for a change mobility scooter law and legislation to make scooter tests compulsory, with a recent story highlighting the need for standard driving tests after a woman died from falling off her mobility scooter.
https://thiis.co.uk/man-jailed-for-knocking-down-two-elderly-women-with-his-mobility-device/https://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Aaron-Ali-TN.jpghttps://thiis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Aaron-Ali-TN-150x150.jpgGovernment & Local AuthoritiesNewsroomThird SectorAaron Ali,electric Wheelchair,Metropolitan Police,mobility aid,mobility device,Mobility Industry,prison,Southwark Crown Court,wheelchairA man has been sentenced by Southwark Crown Court to 24 months imprisonment for running over two elderly women with his electric wheelchair. Aaron Ali, 40, was found guilty on 28th of September for harassment, actual bodily harm, criminal damage and the possession of Class B Drugs. The court heard that...Calvin BarnettCalvin Barnettcalvin.barnett@bhta.comAuthorTHIIS Magazine