A woman has won a six-figure payout after she was mowed down by a drunk driver while standing on the pavement to watch Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Nadine Wood, 49, was left with life-threatening injuries after she was struck by an out-of-control Audi while standing on a bridge near her house with some friends.
The Audi driver had previously jumped a red light and collided with another car before hitting Nadine.
After completing a roadside breath test, the driver, Loic Freeman, from Hereford, was found to be four times over the legal limit.
Nadine, of Lechlade, Gloucestershire, was hospitalised for 16 days and she was treated for fractures to her spine and pelvis and life-threatening blood clots on her lungs.
The Ministry of Defence lecturer worked with Irwin Mitchell injury lawyers to claim a six-figure sum - allowing her to carry out vital rehabilitation work and return to the workplace.
Nadine said: “It’s been more than two years since the crash, but I can still remember it like it was yesterday.
"One minute I was standing on the bridge and the next I was pinned up against it, screaming, after being crushed by a car.
"Friends managed to push the car away from me when I then fell to the ground. The pain was excruciating."
Nadine was standing on the Halfpenny Bridge, Lechlade as she hoped to see the SpaceX satellite pass through the sky in May 2020.
She continues to suffer both physically and psychologically due to the trauma.
She said: “I’m still significantly affected by injuries and feel the consequences of them every day.
"I haven’t been able to return to running with my local club and have been told the pain and physical difficulties I have been left with are unlikely to improve any further.
"I’ve finally been able to return to work, but it’s still a struggle sometimes.
"I’m so grateful to have amazing support from my friends and loved ones, and it’s such a relief that I can now begin to look, forwards.
“I really wouldn’t wish what I’ve been through on anyone and want to remind drivers to stay safe on the roads.
"It only takes one moment or decision to change someone’s life forever.”
Freeman, of Bullinghope in Hereford, pleaded guilty at Gloucester Crown Court to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in August 2021 when he was aged 26.
He was jailed for two and a half years and will be banned from driving for three and a half years once he's been released.
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