A HIT and run driver from Bolton has been jailed for wrecking the career of a top female surfer who he mowed down on a pelican crossing.

Gary Scholes, who was working in Devon, was rushing from a pub on a Friday night and had already had a series of near misses before he hit 26-year-old Karma Worthington in Braunton, North Devon.

She was a former British junior surfer who worked as an instructor and was about to go on a watersports holiday in Sri Lanka when she suffered serious injuries to her pelvis and right arm.

Carpenter Scholes, aged 36, was seen on CCTV driving his silver van at speeds up to 51 mph in 30 mph limits moments before the accident on the crossing outside the SQ restaurant in Exeter Road.

Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said Miss Worthington was hit on the crossing around 9.20 pm on October 24 last year as she has almost completed crossing the road. The lights were not on red but the crossing was well lit.

She was thrown about 30 feet 'like a rag doll' by the impact with the van, which cracked the windscreen.

Miss Worthington's career has been wrecked by her injuries.

Exeter Crown Court heard how Scholes, of Albert Road, Farnworth, had been shopfitting at a pub in Bideford and had been drinking with workmates before he set off for Ilfracombe at around 9 pm.

He had already overtaken on off duty policeman by driving through two red lights, gone the wrong way round a roundabout and two traffic islands, and had a series of near misses before the accident.

He did not stop his Transit van after hitting Miss Worthington and sped off, narrowly missing a bus as he overtook on a blind corner in his rush to get away.

Two of the drivers who he passed during his 12 mile journey described his actions as the worst driving they had ever seen.

Police found the van outside the house where he was staying at The Lees, Ilfracombe, but he was not there and did not contact the police until the next day, by which time it was too late to breathalyse him.

Scholes pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop or report an accident.

He was jailed for two years and four months and banned from driving for three years after his release by Judge David Evans, who also forfeited his van.

The judge told him:"You were driving dangerously for pretty much the whole route before, during and after the collision. You narrowly missed another driver who was getting out after parking.

"Miss Worthington was crossing from your right and was there for some time to be seen. You were still travelling with your speed undiminished. It was excessive and inappropriate for the neighbourhood.

"You simply were driving too fast, too dangerously, and you simply did not pay attention. It is clear from the damage to your vehicle, which had a cracked windscreen, you were aware immediately you had injured a pedestrian.

"It is clear from her witness statement she was an active surfing instructor and now does not know if she will be able to return to her passion.

"All for what? You yourself don't offer an explanation why you were driving so dangerously for such a long period of time. You chose to drive on. That cannot be explained as simple panic.

"You carried on driving wildly and dangerously, risking further collision. You drove on to avoid apprehension. You must have known that if you were, you would have been breathalysed and that would have given better information about how intoxicated you were."

Scholes had already been reported to police before the accident after going through red lights. One driver saw him smiling and laughing as he passed them on the wrong side of a roundabout.

An eye witness said Miss Worthington was thrown in the air 'like a rag doll'.

In a statement to the court she said injuries, including a broken pelvis and arm, were life changing and had prevented her returning to work as a surf instructor.

Paul Grumbar, defending, said Scholes had only one drink after finishing work and was driving too fast because he was late home. He said he is genuinely remorseful and has written a letter of apology.

He drove on after the accident because he panicked and spent the night in a park in Ilfracombe because he was still panicking and confused.

Mr Grumbar said:"He is an honourable, reasonable, hard working, law-abiding man who for some reason he cannot explain was driving too fast that night. One thing led to another and he committed these offences."

Speaking after the case Miss Worthington said:"I am just glad that I get to walk out the front door of the court and he doesn't. He can now go and think about what he has done.

"I have only just managed to get on a board again a couple of weeks ago but it is not the same. I don't have the same strength or fitness or the mobility in my left arm.

"I just hope to put this behind me and get on with my life and recover."