'Shocking case has changed the life of victim forever': Northampton driver given suspended jail sentence after child hit on pelican crossing
A Northampton driver has been sentenced for dangerous driving after hitting a child on a pelican crossing on the A4500 Weedon Road in Upton last year.
Northamptonshire Police, in a statement, said Adrianna Calbaza was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Monday, August 3, to 15 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle dangerously at a hearing on May 28 this year.
A police spokesperson said: “Calbaza, of Dent Close, Northampton, was also disqualified from driving for two years and will have to sit an extended re-test before she will be allowed to get back behind the wheel. She was also ordered to pay £1,000 court costs and £187 victim surcharge.
“The collision occurred just after 4pm on July 28, 2025, when the girl was using a traffic-light controlled pelican crossing on the A4500 and Calbaza failed to stop at the red light and struck the child.
“The girl was taken by air ambulance to Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital where her injuries were fortunately found not to be life changing.
“Calbaza was arrested at the scene, and as part of an investigation by Northamptonshire Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, was charged with one count of driving a motor vehicle dangerously,” the spokesperson added.
After two appearances at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on September 1, and October 13, Calbaza had her case committed to the county’s crown court for trial. However, on May 28, she changed her plea to guilty, police said.
Following the sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Bryony Elgey-Farmer of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This collision highlights the horrifying effects of driving whilst distracted.
“It is a shocking case which has changed the life of the victim and her family forever – the young girl, who was once confident, now struggles to cross the road without the support of her parents.
“Despite all of this, the victim remains determined to recover and is an absolute credit to her parents.
“Adrianna Calbaza was extremely fortunate that she didn’t cause a fatal collision that day. She was driving a road that she was familiar with and became complacent – the light had been red for some time before she hit the girl.
“Driving like this is a risk to everyone, and this case demonstrates that even a momentary loss of awareness can have potentially devastating consequences.”