'Singing unicorn' caused teenage opera singer to crash - Court

A WANNABE opera singer wrote off her car in Ramsey High Street after being distracted by a singing unicorn, a court heard.

Teenager Ursula Ward, of Queen Mary Close, Ramsey, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Huntingdon Magistrates' Court yesterday (Thursday 26).

Ward, 18, admitted ploughing her Vauxhall Astra into the back of a parked Jaguar XK8 while on her way to Abbey College, Ramsey.

Prosecutor Laura Mardell told the court that police were called to Ramsey High Street after the collision, which happened just before 1pm on January 31.

Miss Mardell said: "The Jaguar sustained damage to its front and rear and was pushed into a parked Seat car, which sustained damage to its rear bumper."

Miss Mardell added that both damaged vehicles belonged to women who had been in the Lasting Impressions beauty salon in the High Street at the time of the crash.

Representing Ward, solicitor Elaine Havord said: "At the time of the incident there was a male in the front passenger seat of the car and a female passenger in the rear.

"The male in the front seat was playing with a 12-inch singing and dancing unicorn toy, which Miss Ward asked him to put away.

"However, with her friends calling her name she momentarily looked down and took her eyes off the road, which led to the crash."

Mrs Havord said that Ward had been faced with the decision of hitting an oncoming car head on or diverting into the back of an empty parked car.

She added that Ward's insurance had covered the damage to both vehicles, but her own car had been written off and she no longer had her own transport.

The solicitor said that having completed her A-Levels, Ward was intending to go to university and had ambitions of becoming an opera singer.

Magistrates fined Ward £150 for the offence and placed four penalty points on her license. She was also ordered to pay £35 prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.