Deborah Thorpe, 43, was stripped of her licence after the astonishing accident in Lewes which left magistrates scratching their heads.

Thorpe collided with the rider after failing to give way to him – but she didn't notice.

The rider flew into the air and across her bonnet before rolling underneath the front of her vehicle – but still Thorpe failed to notice him.

She then ran over his chest in front of stunned witnesses – but failed, yet again, to realise anything was amiss.

Finally, Thorpe drove along the road with her struggling victim thrashing about underneath in a vain bid to struggle free – and still she was unaware.

Despite other cars beeping their horns and frantic pedestrians screaming and waving Thorpe failed to stop.

She only did so when a woman ran into the road and hammered on her window.

Nearby shoppers ran to the scene and lifted the car off the rider trapped beneath to find he had somehow survived his ordeal.

Details of the accident shortly before midday on June 5 were outlined to incredulous Lewes magistrates at a hearing on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Kate Heffernan told the court that Thorpe was driving her Citroen on the day of the smash and had her mother with her as a passenger.

A taxi driver was travelling behind Thorpe as she headed along Little East Street towards the Phoenix Causeway at between 10mph and 15mph.

He later told police that he had noticed that the two women in the car 'were talking and their heads were moving backwards and forwards'.

The taxi driver noticed a scooter coming towards them from the Causeway junction and the cabbie slowed to allow him to pass but the Citroen carried on.

Mrs Heffernan said: 'He says the Citroen may have increased speed slightly and he watched as her passenger wing hit the front wheel of the scooter. The rider fell off and fell head-first towards the front of the car. The taxi driver then lost sight of the rider and thought the Citroen would stop.

'But the Citroen did not stop – it continued on and turned to the right and he could see a pair of legs sticking out from the front passenger side.

'The legs were moving as if they were trying to run.

'The taxi driver hit his hand on the horn to try and get the Citroen's attention and a lady with a buggy ran across the road and started banging on the driver's window and she stopped at the junction with the bus entrance.

'He said he believed that if the lady had not banged on the window the car would not have stopped. The rider was still under the car.'

Mrs Heffernan said the scooter rider later told police the car did not stop at the give way and he had no time to avoid the car. She added: 'He went over the bonnet of the car and into the centre of the road in front of the car and landed on the road and the front passenger wheel went over his chest.

'The car continued and he remembers being rolled over and being dragged along the road.

'He said he was crying out and trying to free himself and he could hear people screaming for the car to stop but it kept going.

'His helmet was protecting his head but he could hear the helmet cracking under the weight of the car and he says "I thought I was going to die".

'He sustained a fractured clavicle collar bone, cuts to his pelvic area and bruising to his ribs and chest and he says "I'm lucky to be alive".
Thorpe, of previous good character, of Middle Way, Lewes, admitted careless driving.

Alison Reeby, defending, said: 'It all happened very very quickly.

'He collided with the passenger side of the vehicle but she was not aware anything had happened.

'She continued on for a short way and heard people tooting their horn and saw people waving and somebody alongside with their hand on the window.

'As soon as she was aware something was wrong she stopped the car.

'Her mother had not seen the scooter either and when she opened the passenger door she saw somebody protruding from underneath the vehicle.'
Sentencing, magistrates told Thorpe she was guilty of a 'very, very serious offence' and they found it 'difficult to understand' how she had failed to notice what was going on.

Thorpe was given a three-month driving ban and ordered to take a re-test before getting a full licence again to ensure she was a competent driver and to protect the public.

She was also ordered to pay a total of £190 in fines and costs.