This is Leicestershire --A woman who drove off after running over a 22-month old toddler on a pedestrian crossing has been jailed.
The girl's mother watched in horror as the infant was flung into the air when Parvinder Biring jumped a red light in Belgrave Gate, in Leicester's city centre.
The toddler was walking in front of her mum, who was pushing another child in a buggy, when the collision happened at 1pm on May 13.
Leicester Crown Court was told the youngster suffered a severely fractured leg, requiring surgery, as well as cuts and bruising.
Biring (38), of Canon Street, Belgrave, Leicester, initially braked after the incident, but then drove away. A bus driver witness followed and forced her to stop on nearby Burleys Way and called the police.
Biring, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was jailed for five months.
Michael Waterfield, prosecuting, said Biring was driving towards the city in the offside third lane in Belgrave Gate, near St Mark's Street, approaching the roundabout at Burleys Way flyover.
Two vehicles in the nearside lanes had stopped for a red light at the crossing. Biring approached alongside them, but failed to stop.
Judge Robert Brown said: "The young mother was proceeding to cross with a child in a buggy and the 22-month-old child walking just in front.
"The child had crossed two lanes by the time of the collision and was crossing the third lane when your vehicle hit her, throwing her into the air on impact. This isn't a case of a child running out unexpectedly. She landed in the road.
"Other vehicles were stationary and you failed to stop. It wasn't a changing light, it was clearly red. You braked momentarily and drove off, followed by another driver who was concerned you had no intention to stop – and I think he was right.
"You denied, when stopped, you'd hit anyone, but later told the truth saying you hadn't seen the child and there was a loud bang.
"This was a serious error of judgement in your driving which could easily have resulted in a death."
He banned Biring from driving for two years.
Balraj Bhatia, mitigating, urged the judge to pass a merciful sentence, saying: "She's saying daily prayers for the child and, thankfully, the little girl is making a full recovery."
He said Biring was a nervous, occasional and inexperienced driver who was showing visitors from London their route back to the M1 motorway.
Mr Bhatia said: "She was the lead car in a convoy and was concentrating on the rear view mirror to ensure they were following. That's why she didn't see the red lights.
"When she struck the child she panicked and failed to stop, not borne out of callousness, but because she was petrified."
She went to the police station to inquire after the child and to take a teddy bear.
He said: "Since the accident she has refused to drive and doesn't intend to ever drive again. She's never done anything wrong in her life, not even had a parking ticket.
"She's a vulnerable, timid, petrified woman who couldn't show any more remorse than if she wrote it on a placard and held it up every day of her life."
The court heard that Biring, who has been married for 15 years, adores children but is unable to have a child of her own.
She and her husband have made arrangements to adopt a baby in India next spring. Reported by This is 19 hours ago.
