Victim angry at lack of penalty for owner of remote-controlled car

A woman knocked down by a remote-controlled car says she is angry that the owner will not be charged.

Miranda Robbins was 38-weeks pregnant when she was hit by the car outside Albany Shopping Centre two days before Christmas.

The car, owned by Sean Thomson, was started with a remote control and jumped forward, driverless, when he activated the device.

Mr Thomson was charged with careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury after the incident, but the charges have been dropped.

Ms Robbins, who needed an emergency caesarean the day after the accident, said police had indicated Mr Thomson would get six months loss of licence.

"I know it was an accident, but I think they should be punished in a small way," she said.

Mr Thomson had the remote starter fitted by an authorised dealer a day before the accident. Within hours of the near tragedy, he had it removed.

Last night he told One News it was "horrific" to see Ms Robbins on the ground.

"I had left it in gear, and it jumped the kerb, and moved forward a few feet. That's when it ran into Miranda, and I backed the car, back into where it was before, shut it down and attended to Miranda straight away," he said.

His wife, Jodi, said: "She was still, she was white-grey looking, and it was just horrible to think that our vehicle had caused all that."

Ms Robbins had been able to push her 2-year-old daughter Ella out of the way before being pinned to the wall.

Both she and the Thomsons are calling for the remote-control devices to be made illegal.

The Land Transport Safety Authority hasn't ruled out an eventual ban, but issued a stern warning, were another similar accident to occur.

Spokesman Andy Knackstedt said a prosecution was possible, and "we've made that clear to the installers that they need to be aware of that themselves".