A driver flipped her car onto its roof after getting distracted while playing with her phone, leaving her needing hospital treatment. Derbyshire police were called to reports of a flipped car on the A6187 Hathersage Road at around 7.55am this morning, Tuesday, April 5, with the car found between the Surprise View car park and the Fox House pub, in the Peak District.
Derbyshire Dales Response Unit later said on Twitter that the driver had been distracted by her phone and had flipped her car, a silver Suzuki Jimny, into a tree. She has since been reported for driving offences and was taken to hospital with a head injury, but the severity of her injuries was not disclosed.
When approached by Derbyshire Live, police said at around 10.30am that officers were still at the scene while they awaited a recovery vehicle to remove the car. Smashed glass could also be seen at the side of the road following the incident.
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(Image: Derbyshire Dales Response Unit)
One member of the public was quick to point out the danger of driving while using a mobile phone. The Twitter user, named Kaz, said: “I’m really glad she didn’t have a collision with any other road users and hope she wasn’t seriously injured. This is the reason people need to understand how dangerous it is to use a mobile phone in a vehicle, one moment and lapse in concentration can cause devastation.”
(Image: Derbyshire Dales Response Unit)
The extent of the driver’s injuries have not been released. It is illegal to drive while holding a mobile phone. Last month, new tougher laws and fines were introduced for drivers using mobile phones while driving. Texting or calling while driving was already illegal but it is now an offence to take photographs or videos while at the wheel.