U–turn driver given suspended sentence
A driver who injured a motorcyclist in an illegal u–turn manoeuvre has received a suspended prison sentence.
Finley Nottingham, 22, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving following a collision on the Lincoln Eastern Bypass on July 2, 2025.
Lewis Murray, 24, was thrown off his bike and sustained multiple serious injuries, including multiple fractures to his left arm, left shoulder, left wrist, left fingers and back. He has undergone extensive surgery for his injuries and has been unable to work since the crash.
Nottingham, formerly of Fiskerton, was driving his Ford Fiesta along the bypass from the Washingborough roundabout towards the Greetwell roundabout, when he discovered the road to his village was closed due to roadworks.
He continued towards the Wragby Road roundabout and at the access junction to Hawthorn Road he started a U–turn in the road, ignoring a sign prohibiting such a manoeuvre.
Nottingham pulled into the left of the carriageway and Mr Murray travelling behind thought that he had moved over to allow him to pass. Nottingham then turned across the carriageway just as the motorbike attempted to overtake, leaving Mr Murray no chance to avoid a collision.
Nottingham, now of Queens Road, Highfield, Sheffield, was sentenced at Lincoln Magistrates' Court to six-months in prison suspended for 12 months. He must also do 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £272 in court charges. He was also banned from driving for a total of 18 months and take an extended re-test before being allowed to drive again.
Nottingham had claimed he wasn’t undertaking a U–turn but trying to avoid an object in the road. He also considered that the motorcyclist was responsible for the collision. He had initially pleaded not guilty but later admitted the charge of careless driving.
DC Laura Alford, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "This collision was down to the selfish actions of Nottingham, who could not be bothered to travel the extra minute up to the roundabout to turn round. Instead, he undertook an illegal manoeuvre which has left Mr Murray with lifelong impacts.
"Nottingham had held his full licence for 22 months before this collision occurred. Yet in this time he has taken the active decision not to comply with the rules of the road with devastating consequences for the motorcyclist that he hit. Those rules are there for the protection of us all, not for optional compliance or the inconvenience of those who can’t be bothered to take an extra minute to drive safely."