Woman is fined for not moving her car from Morrison’s despite having bad fall
A grandmother who a bad fall while out shopping has been told she has to pay a fine for not moving her car from Morrisons car park – even though she was in hospital.
Rose Sharman, 70, needed an ambulance after suffering head injuries from tripping on uneven cobblestones in town.
She was kept in hospital overnight for observations, so had no time to go back herself and drive her car home before the fine kicked in.
Even so, her daughter collected her Ford Fiesta from the car park in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, later that day.
But it wasn’t quick enough to escape a fine – and Rose received a £155 penalty notice from Euro Car Parks three months later.
Now, she says she is facing financial trouble from the prospect of having to pay the fine, which she was told has been sent to debt collectors.
Euro Car Parks said she breached the three-hour maximum stay, and that an ANPR camera photographed her car entering the carpark at 10am on March 25 and leaving at 3.10pm.
The company said: ‘Your vehicle was parked longer than the maximum period.’
Rose’s family wrote to the firm and explained the reason she left her car was because she was in A&E.
But they replied saying that she should have informed them of the emergency before the time ran out.
Rose, from Wellingborough, said she parked in Morrisons to get some fuel and then went into town nearby for some ‘bits and pieces’.
‘I remember coming up the steps and out of the Swansgate Shopping Centre,’ she said.
‘The next thing I knew I was on the floor, there was this woman saying “are you alright?” It was awful.
‘I really didn’t think about the car. I didn’t intend to do this.’
She said she went into Morrisons to query the fine but they said the car park doesn’t belong to them.’
Rose was rushed by ambulance to Kettering General Hospital where she was treated for severe bruising and grazing and kept overnight with suspected concussion.
Her injuries were so bad, she was unable to open her left eye for two days following the fall.
Granddaughter Amy Garrett, 31, said of the fine: ‘It’s an appalling way to treat my gran.
‘She’s only recently lost her husband and now she’s got this to deal with. She can barely afford things at the moment anyway and now she’s been hit with a £155 fine.
‘I just wish the company would show some compassion but we’ve had none. You can’t even call someone to speak to a human being.
‘When they wrote to us they said gran should have told them about her medical emergency before the time ran out on the car but she was in hospital with head injuries.
‘She was hardly in a fit state to explain why she couldn’t drive.’
Euro Car Parks told her: ‘Any medical problems you were experiencing at site on the above date were not reported so no provision could be made, therefore parking charge notice was issued correctly and remains payable.’
Rose has been told her case has now been passed to a debt recovery service.
The gran-of-nine said: ‘It’s another slap in the face. I’m on a pension. I have to be so careful.
‘I can’t afford this money, I don’t see why I should have to pay this money.. I didn’t do this intentionally. It’s making me feel depressed.’
A North Northamptonshire Council spokesman said: ‘Work has been carried out by Highways to repair paving at this location.’
Euro Car Parks have been contacted for comment.
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