A COURT has been told of the moment the car being driven by a teenager struck and seriously injured a Blackburn mum-of-three.

A 17-year-old boy, who was a back seat passenger in the car, said Elaine Haworth had been standing with her arms outstretched in front of her just moments before the collision outside her home in Priory Grange, Darwen, in August last year.

The teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons said Mrs Haworth had "side-stepped" out into the road from behind a van and had been "unmoving".

He said the car being driven by Richard Bradley had swerved and then hit her.

He said: "The car slid very slightly. I saw the windscreen was cracked and I began to cover my face. I told Richard to stop."

Mrs Haworth suffered head and pelvic injuries after the incident.

Bradley, 18, of Whitby Drive, Blackburn, denies wounding Mrs Haworth with intent. He has pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

A jury at Preston Crown Court had earlier heard that Bradley and a group of friends had arrived in a car driven by another teenager in a neighbouring street but that Bradley had got into an argument with a boy and there had been some pushing and shoving.

Two witnesses - a 15 year-old girl and a 16 year-old girl - told the court that they had seen Bradley get into the car and drive towards them before reversing "quite fast" out of the street. They both said they believed he was alone in the car.

Under cross-examination from prosecuting barrister, Richard Howarth, the 17 year-old passenger said he had got out of the car for a breath of fresh air and then got back into the back seat, saying he didn't know if Bradley realised he was there.

He said Bradley got back into the car and "seemed angry" and had driven forward on to a patch of grass. He said the other people were not close enough to be in any danger.

He said he had reversed "quite fast" and at some point had turned the car round then drove down a dead end road where he did a two point turn.

He said that when he set off the wheels of the car had been spinning, there had been "quite a lot" of revs and a big roar from the engine. He said he thought Bradley had then accelerated to 30-35mph.

(Proceeding)