A PAISLEY woman who was involved in a horror car smash in which her friend lost her leg has revealed she struggles with survivor's guilt.
Alanah Boyle, 29, had been walking arm-in-arm with pal Kerrie Lavery when they were struck by a BMW being driven at 81mph by Thomas Granger in Clydebank.
Ms Lavery, 25, from Drumchapel, suffered an "immediate above-the-knee amputation" due to the severe impact of the crash.
The mum-of-one now uses a prosthetic leg.
At Dumbarton Sheriff Court today, Granger, 47, from Glasgow, was jailed for nearly three years for dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.
Ms Boyle suffered a fractured pelvis, an injury to her right elbow and PTSD.
She said: “That was the first night I met Kerrie, but the aftermath resulted in us becoming very close.
“I was lucky to not be more significantly injured but I’ve always struggled with survivor’s guilt – I’m just proud to see how Kerrie has recovered and maintains her positivity. She’s properly inspirational.
“Jail for the driver is the only fair outcome here – he has shown no remorse and worsened our trauma by maintaining a not-guilty plea until the very last minute just to stay free as long as possible.
“He only even got his driving ban at the conviction hearing so ever since the accident he was essentially still free to get behind the wheel. Surely, given the nature of the crime and wealth of evidence, it would only have been right to suspend his licence immediately?
“I just don’t understand how these loopholes in the criminal justice system remain open for blatant offenders to exploit them – all in defiance of the victims.
“I’d like to thank everyone from NHS to friends and family to the community."
On October 2, 2021, the pair had left a mental health charity event around midnight. They decided to walk home after failing to get a taxi.
They stopped at a petrol station for refreshments and then walked to a pedestrian crossing to cross Great Western Road.
But as they did, Granger mowed them down in his white BMW 220d Sport.
Investigators and CCTV analysis found he was driving at around 81mph in a 40mph zone.
Granger kept driving until Drumry roundabout where he turned to revisit.
Others in the group of pedestrians thought he was just a passer-by and asked him to call an ambulance.
But when they realised he was the culprit, he fled. Police caught him about 40 minutes later.
Ms Lavery was treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and had emergency surgery to treat the amputation. A second operation inserted a plate for her fractured left arm.
She also suffered a fractured finger and a chip to the bone of her left shin.
She spent two weeks in hospital and was in a wheelchair for months.
In a statement via her lawyers at Digby Brown, she said: "I can’t pretend the collision didn’t have a profound impact on my life because it did.
“No one expects to suffer an injury like this, but I’ve really tried to do my best to stay positive and keep leading as normal a life as possible because I really believe that ‘life-changing’ doesn’t have to mean ‘life-ending’.
“It’s not stopped me being a mum and it’s not stopped me looking forward to the milestones in life that we all look forward to.
“I really have a lot of people to thank to help me do this from my friends and family to the NHS staff and recovery therapists who have helped me through so much.
“I don’t really know what to say about the driver… he got more jail time than I expected so that’s something.
“I’m not a bitter or vengeful person but I think it is right that he is held accountable as everything that happened around this incident sends a really strong message to people about road safety and justice so it’s important that it has, I guess, an appropriate ending.
“I am now just looking forward to getting back to my family, getting on with my life."
At court, the women were backed by 16 friends and relatives.
Granger hid his face under a coat as he entered court. He was earlier convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop.
Sheriff William Gallacher sentenced him to 33 months in prison and banned him from driving for seven years.
He said: “This can only be described as disgraceful.
“Your driving was dangerous and left people with serious, life-long injuries – the victim impact statements made for profound and difficult reading – added to your leaving the scene which can only be described as incomprehensible.”
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