TWO men who had been working on Hereford’s roadworks ploughed their work van into a Mercedes after failing to stop at traffic lights, a court heard.

Gareth Matthew Mosley, 31, and Callum Sharp, 22, appeared before Hereford Magistrates Court on Thursday following the crash on October 24.

Amy Davies, prosecuting, said that at 10.30pm, the defendants were in a Mercedes Sprinter lorry and travelled along Victoria Street before approaching the traffic lights to turn right onto Barton Road.

“They didn’t stop or wait at the lights until the opposite carriageway was cleared and collided with a Mercedes car,” said Mrs Davies.

“Mosley left the scene of the road traffic collision and was found hiding in a drive-way in Greyfriars Avenue where he was arrested.”

The value of the damage to the Sprinter lorry was £9,500 and the owner, his employers, confirmed that Mosley had no permission to drive it and it was therefore uninsured.

On interview Mosley, of Doncaster, admitted that he was the driver.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking causing damage, driving without a licence or insurance and failing to give a specimen for analysis.

Sharp, from Mansfield, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking- allowing himself to be carried in said vehicle.

Marilena Di Vitantonio, mitigating for Mosley, said that he hadn’t been charged with leaving the scene and went across the road for safety reasons.

“There is no explanation why they got into the work vehicle,” she added.

“His co-defendant has permission to drive but Mosley doesn’t have a licence.”

Emma Thorne, mitigating for Sharp, said he was a man of previously good character who was being carried in the vehicle.

District Judge Nigel Cadbury ordered Sharp to pay a £320 fine, £185 costs and a £32 victim surcharge. He was also given four penalty points on his licence.

When sentencing Mosley, Mr Cadbury said: “You obviously had a substantial amount to drink and were probably over the limit and had no insurance or driving licence.

“You caused an accident and fortunately nobody was injured as you were driving a lorry and it could have caused a serious injury.”

Mosley was handed a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.

He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £320 fine.