‘Comatose’ Broadstone driver fined by DVLA (From Bournemouth Echo)

‘Comatose’ Broadstone driver fined by DVLA

12:30pm Saturday 20th October 2012 in News

A SUPPLY teacher found ‘comatose’ at the wheel due to epilepsy has been fined for failing to tell the DVLA of his condition.

Rodney Cowens Alder was found by police to have ‘blacked out’ when they attended a crash in Chaffinch Close in Poole.

Charles Nightingale, prosecuting at Bournemouth Magistrates court, said the 60-year-old was involved in a “low speed impact collision in April.

He said: “The defendant was coma-tose in the driving seat of his vehicle. It became clear the he had suffered some sort of black out.”

Mr Nightingale said it had happened before when Alder, of Abbotsbury Road, Broadstone, was in a car on a motorway in 1976.

He said Alder had temporal lobe epilepsy and the DVLA would have revoked the licence on medical grounds had they known.

Alder admitted the charge of failing to notify the DVLA of a disability.

Alder said he was not driving when he was found on the motorway in 1976 and said he had only blacked out three times in 36 years.

“I did not report this to the DVLA but to suggest I’ve been a walking time bomb is not the case,” he added.

Alder was fined £120 and ordered to pay £35 costs and £15 victim surcharge.