Police investigating a reported hit and run collision which occurred on Monday (15th May) outside the gates of a local primary school, have arrested and charged a 61-year-old man with drink driving.
Young mum Janiene Brown, who is heavily pregnant and expecting twins, was picking up her son at Gracehill Primary School shortly after 3pm yesterday afternoon when she said a white lorry slammed into the back of her car causing substantial damage.
Janiene's little two year old daughter was also in the vehicle when the incident happened. Both mum and daughter were taken to Antrim Area Hospital by ambulance.
Subsequently, a short time later police stopped a white lorry, now known to be part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's fleet of vehicles with two employees of the local authority on board.
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said:
"A 61-year-old man has been charged with driving with excess alcohol in his breath in the Cushendall Road area of Ballymena on Monday, May 15.
"He is expected to appear before Ballymena Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 8.
"As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service."
The police spokesperson added:
"He was further arrested on suspicion of a number of offences, including driving without due care and attention and failing to remain where an accident occurred causing injury, by police investigating a two-vehicle road traffic collision in the Church Road area of Gracehill on Monday, May 15.
"He has since been released on bail for these matters for allow for further questioning".
A white council vehicle caught on dash cam on Monday afternoon in the Gracehill area of Ballymena.
Responding to the the developments this morning, a spokesperson for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council told Love Ballymena:
“First and foremost, the thoughts of everybody at Council is with the family involved in this incident.
"Council is engaging with the relevant authorities involved.”
Janiene and her young daughter were released from hospital on Monday evening after a full check-over by doctors, but said she is still "sore and feeling very shaken" today.
"My two-year-old daughter is also annoyed and telling me she’s sore too," shared the young mum. "Me and my daughter were both checked out at Antrim Area Hospital and my twins too.
"Thankfully we all walked away but things could of been a lot worse."
Janiene continued:
"It’s just so shocking that someone rammed into the back of my car and didn’t get out to make sure that I was ok. All of this happened in front of school children too. God knows what would have happened if I wasn’t sitting there in my car. Would he have hit the children that had just finished school for the day?
"It’s left me with no car, no car seat for my daughter and no buggy to even take her out a walk because her buggy was in the car.
"I just think it is disgusting behaviour from two men to do this to any one".
Janiene concluded by saying, "I would like to thank everyone who contacted me and other members of my family, and for those who helped with dash cam footage. It was greatly appreciated".