Driving ban for man who hit New Forest foal leaving it fatally injured
Foal left with two broken legs after collision
Last updated 28th Apr 2022
A man has been banned from driving after he struck a foal in the New Forest last year leaving it with two broken legs.
Ben Hanlan was at the wheel of a Volkswagen Polo when he collided with a foal on Beaulieu Road near North Lane between midnight on August 27 and 3.30am on August 28.
The 22 year old, of East Grange Drive in Leeds, then fled the scene without reporting the incident to local agisters or the police.
Leeds Magistrates Court heard how Hanlan had believed that he had hit a deer at the time of the collision, but did not stop to determine these facts, nor to inspect whether he had seriously injured or caused the death of an animal.
The injured pony was located by a local Agister the following day, having sadly suffering two broken front legs as a result of the accident. It is then though that the pony continued to wander for several hours on the stumps of her bones before succumbing to her injuries.
The pony was humanely dispatched as a result.
Ben Hanlan pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident and was disqualified from driving for a period of six months and ordered to pay £85 court costs.
PC Matt Thelwell, Wildlife and Rural Crime Officer, said:
“Sadly, this is an incident which was wholly avoidable, but resulted in a foal having to be euthanised due to the severity of its injuries. The driver is lucky that in this situation, he did not suffer serious injuries himself, or worse, but that could have been a real possibility in a different scenario.
“Driving above the speed limit, especially during hours of darkness, can have devastating consequences. Sadly, there have been a number of high-profile animal deaths on New Forest roads over the last 18 months; but these needn’t have happened if motorists been travelling within the speed limit or driving appropriately for the conditions.
“This conviction hopefully sends out a stark message about the importance of driving safely, and within the law, across New Forest roads, but also that no one is above the law. Failure to report a road traffic incident or accident is a criminal offence, and this shows, that we will always seek to identify those responsible and put them in front of the courts so that justice can be served.
“We will continue to work with key partners including New Forest National Park Authority, Forestry England and Commoners Defence Association to raise awareness of animals killed by collisions in the New Forest area and improve safety.”