Former Coronation Street star spared jail after shattering legs of two girls in horror crash

A former Coronation Street star has been spared jail after pleading guilty to seriously injuring two girls by careless and inconsiderate driving.

Louis Emerick Grant, who played Steve and Andy McDonald’s former teacher Mike Thornberry in the soap in 2018, was accused of injuring the two 12-year-old girls as they crossed a road.

Grant, 64, who has previously lived in south Manchester, caused serious injury to the two girls when they were hit by the Honda he was driving in Wallasey, Wirral on October 2 last year.

Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link

The two girls were heading to a shop on the other side of the road at the time of the incident, The Mirror reports. As they reached the middle of the road, Grant’s car was seen to cut the corner of the right-hand bend and entered the centre hatched markings before colliding with the two girls.

One girl suffered a fractured leg and the other, a fractured leg and ankle, a broken nose, broken jaw and broken teeth. Both were unable to return to school for several months after spending time in Alder Hey hospital and will also require further surgery.

Grant, who also played Mick Johnson in Brookside, was not seen to slow down or brake on the approach to the girls. The weather was dry and clear and there was good visibility.

Grant told officers that he had looked to his nearside but did not see the girls crossing ahead. He blamed the sun, but accepted that, if his vision was impaired, he should have reduced his speed. He was wearing prescription glasses at the time which react to the sun.

He was arrested and charged with two offences of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. He pleaded guilty at Wirral Magistrates’ Court