Jolanta Motiejuniene, 48, of Lesley Street, Port Talbot, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (26 September 2025) after being found guilty of causing serious injury by careless driving. She was also disqualified from driving for 20 months.
The incident happened on 20 February 2023 in Waun Burgess, Carmarthen, when Motiejuniene was carrying out charity collections in a Mercedes Sprinter van. Shortly after 11am, the van struck the child, who was riding a balance bike on the estate.
The girl sustained life‑threatening injuries and continues to recover more than two years later.
Family statement
In a statement, the child’s family said:
“Two years ago our lives were turned upside down due to the injuries caused to our beautiful daughter. We have witnessed and suffered trauma that no parent should go through, trauma which could have been avoided if the driver was simply looking where she was going.
We are forever grateful to the Crown Court Judge, Jury, Prosecution Barrister and Dyfed‑Powys Police for getting our daughter the justice she deserves. Our thanks also go to the NHS staff at Glangwili and Noah’s Ark hospitals, the Air Ambulance crew, our daughter’s physiotherapists and our family and friends whose love, support and care has helped us through an extremely worrying and traumatic couple of years.”
Police response
PC Lucy Peppiatt, from Dyfed‑Powys Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:
“We welcome the sentencing of Motiejuniene, whose careless driving on that day led to the serious injury of a very young child, in an avoidable collision.
This sentence goes some way to seeing justice done, and we also hope it serves as a stark reminder to drivers of the serious consequences of driving in a careless and thoughtless manner – putting vulnerable pedestrians at risk.”
