Pedestrian left with life-changing injuries after being hit on pavement
A woman who inhaled nitrous oxide from a balloon while behind the wheel, then struck a pedestrian seconds later, has been jailed for 20 months. Louisa Tunstall, of Bradwell Road, Lowton, veered onto the pavement in her Fiat 500 and ran over a 51-year-old woman in Wigan on May 24, 2024.
The victim suffered serious, life-changing leg injuries, and now requires round-the-clock care from her daughter, who is also studying at university.
Tunstall appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Wednesday, where she was sentenced after being found guilty of possession of a Class C drug, driving under the influence of drugs, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Victim’s life ‘turned upside down’
In a moving victim impact statement read to the court, the injured woman said: “This incident has had a significant impact on not only my life but my family’s life. As I cannot get upstairs, I need someone to be with me all of the time and my daughter has become my full-time carer, which isn’t fair on her.”
She added: “When I think about the actions of the driver, I feel like she has turned my world upside down. I have missed so much in my life, and I feel that she can just go about her business as normal with no understanding of the consequences.”
Court imposes driving ban and extended retest
Alongside the 20-month prison sentence, Tunstall has been banned from driving for two years and eight months and must complete an extended driving test before she can return to the road.
Greater Manchester Police described her behaviour as “reckless and selfish”, and warned other drivers that nitrous oxide can be just as impairing as other drugs.
Police: No excuse for drug driving
Following sentencing, PC Stefan Bielizna from GMP’s Roads Policing Unit said: “It was made clear by the judge that drivers under the influence of nitrous oxide will be given time behind bars if they choose to get behind the wheel.
“There is no excuse for taking other people’s lives into your hands due to the reckless and selfish behaviours that Tunstall has shown.”
Nitrous oxide, also known as “hippy crack”, was reclassified as a Class C drug under UK law in 2023.
