A mother and three children, in the UK, were mowed down by a drug driver who reversed her car into them as she was fleeing from her girlfriend after an argument. The woman drug driver Samantha Ogden has been jailed. 28-year-old Ogden was high on cannabis when she got into her car, mounted a pavement, and rammed into Natalie Mulligan, who was walking with her 11-year-old daughter and two other children aged 11 and 6.

When the paramedics were called to the scene, they found the youngest girl pinned to a fence with a fractured skull. Ogden said, "I was just having s**t with my bird and I needed to get off". As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the tests revealed Ogden was 3 times over the drug drive limit. The doctors said the 6-year-old girl's injuries will take around 9 months to heal and the child is unable to sleep in her own bed and also has painful flashbacks from the horrific accident. Mulligan's 11-year-old daughter is now afraid to walk home from school.

The Manchester Crown Court was made aware of the fact that Ogden had an argument with her same-sex partner at their home in Salford. It is reported that before the accident, Ogden ran to her Vauxhall Corsa in an attempt to get away from her girlfriend and tried to drive away in a hurry. 

According to the prosecutor David Lees, "She was having a dispute with her partner and a neighbor who witnessed it said there was aggression and she seemed under the influence. Miss Ogden came out of the house, ran towards the vehicle and got in it. Her partner also ran toward the vehicle. Miss Ogden sped backward up the road but mounted the pavement, and unfortunately hit Natalie Mulligan with her daughter of 11, and two friends of the family being 11 and six". 

"The impact of the vehicle caused all four to hit a fence, and the six-year-old was pinned between the car and the fence. She lost consciousness for approximately ten minutes at the scene. She was admitted to the hospital that day but was slurring her speech. She had bruises on her left cheek and had a fractured skull. She was released from the hospital three days later. The doctors said it would be around nine months before her bones were fully healed," Lees added. 

"She now won’t sleep in her own bed and has nightmares and flashbacks from the incident. Miss Mulligan's daughter is having counseling at school and fears crossing the road. She doesn’t walk home from school anymore. Their lives have been difficult since," Lees continued. "She accepts that her driving was dangerous and she was unaware of pedestrians on the pavement and mounted the curb". 

"Miss Mulligan was holding the six-year-old’s hand and was caught between the car and fence when hit. The police were called and there was an overwhelming smell of cannabis. She admitted she had been smoking it and was three times the limit," Lees shared. Ogden revealed she had taken cannabis to help with stress and sleep. 

Defense lawyer Daniel Gaskell said, "She accepts the seriousness of the offense. It should be considered where she found herself on the morning of the incident. She was fleeing from an abusive partner after they had had an argument. Witness Collette Harris said they were having a heated argument and the partner chased her away in the street. She saw Ogden reversing quickly up the street in a frightened panicked manner and lost control of the car". 

"She admitted to reversing in a turning and that was her first option to turn around. She was in a frantic situation and state of mind. She was trying to get away from someone making threats to her. She was making threats of suicide and letting her dog run free. She has overcome fairly difficult teenage years. She made a career for herself and was progressing well towards a more qualified and better position," Gaskell continued. 

"She doesn't in any way think that the injuries were anything other than serious, and is grateful they weren’t more serious and had offered her apologies. She is a good lady with a good record. People speak highly of her but she will pay the price of what she did," Gaskell added. 

Ogden was jailed for two years and judge Hillary Manley said, "You had an argument with your partner and fled the house, got into the car and reversed 30 meters up the road. But you lost control of the car and struck three children and a mother. The 11-year-olds were thrown over the fence. The six-year-old was pinned between the car and the fence and the mother was also injured". 

"The six-year-old was unconscious for ten minutes on the ground and was taken to A&E after the mother was begging her to wake up as she was so concerned about her. A CT scan showed injuries including a fractured skull. She spent three days in hospital and used a sling for a month, and a neck collar fitted. The mother suffered with pain all over and bruises to her shin, arm, knee, and body. She had a supportive walking boot and is still having physiotherapy. The six-year-old has been deeply affected. She won't sleep in her own bed," judge Manley continued. 

"For anyone of any age to have a car reversing at you is traumatizing, but to a six-year-old that must have been terrifying. Miss Mulligan's daughter has had counseling and fears crossing the road. The other child has also been affected. They need reassurance as revving cars frightens them. When you got out of that car you said to Natalie, words to the effect of, you were having s**t with your bird and needed to get off, you were giving no consideration to the child and the incident," Manley added. 

"It was a considerable distance to travel at excessive speed which was described as hurtling towards the mother and children. You may have been seeking to remove yourself from a volatile situation from your partner but you could have gone on foot. Driving at speed in a residential road in this way, you could have killed someone," judge Hillary Manley said.