Disabled driver injured in row in Chippenham

7:20am Saturday 20th March 2010 in News

Susan Simmons Susan Simmons

Disabled Susan Simmons is still recovering after having her car door slammed into her shoulder when she confronted a driver for parking in a disabled bay without a permit.

Mrs Simmons, 50, who lives in Chippenham, was left shaken and unable to move her shoulder after the incident, which took place in the Sainsbury’s car park just before 10am on Friday.

She said: “A normal person would have just been a bit bruised, but because I have two frozen shoulders, the one that was hit went into spasm.

“This lady knew I was disabled, but when I said ‘do you know what you have done?’ she just laughed.”

The dispute began in the car park of the Hathaway chemist in Middlefield Road where Mrs Simmons was picking up a prescription.

She said: “I was parked in the disabled bay and there was a car next to me.

“When the man’s wife came out I wound my window down and told them they should not be parked there.

“She gave me a bit of abuse and she was quite nasty about it, which I was not expecting because she was a smart looking woman in her 60s.”

Mrs Simmons then drove to Sainsbury’s to buy a pack of cigarettes to calm herself down.

When she arrived she saw the woman walking towards her, and believes the couple had followed her from the surgery.

They had words and Mrs Simmons tried to talk the woman down, but she shoved the door into her shoulder.

Despite this incident Mrs Simmons, who has been registered disabled for about ten years, will continue to challenge anyone who parks in a disabled bay without a blue badge.

She said: “When I got home my husband said maybe this will teach me not to confront people, but I will carry on.

“You can’t have people thinking they can just park in disabled bays. They are not there as something to take advantage of, they are there because we need them.”

The police are treating the incident as an assault. Witnesses are asked to call 0845 4087000.

Comments(12)

Local Bloke says...
7:52am Sat 20 Mar 10

I hope the lady responsible, though clearly she is nothing of the sort, reads this and hands herself in. I see similar things every day including people parking in parent and toddler bays and sitting in the car with the kids while someone else does their shopping.

This is appalling and symptomatic of a generally lazy, irresponsible person, vindictive enough to follow the 'victim' to 'finish things off'.

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exrock says...
10:28am Sat 20 Mar 10

And what a supportive husband too !

I'd have been out there looking for the "lady" in question, but then again I'VE never been spineless I hope !

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JesseLake says...
11:44am Sat 20 Mar 10

Sorry to hear shes hurt but good on her. Those allocated parking bays are there for a reason and shouldnt be abused. If your child isnt in a buggy anymore or you are not a blue badge holder park in a normal space like the rest of us are able to and dont abuse the system. Hope her shoulder heals soon x

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bill oddie says...
5:21pm Sat 20 Mar 10

Disgusting behaviour. This is exactly what is wrong with society in general, and particularly in this town. Having a dispute about parking is one thing, but to follow the victim across town and continue to harass and abuse her is another thing altogether. I hope the police are treating this as serious and the attacker in question gets charged with assault.

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mjhudston says...
6:49pm Sat 20 Mar 10

I hope they catch the woman and through the book at her.

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lou1989 says...
5:56pm Sun 21 Mar 10

I'm guessing no one on here has any facts!. The person involoved isn't spineless i'll have you no (exrock from Swindon) and they came forward as soon as they heard that it had caused further upset.
Are you trying to tell me you have never reversed into a parking space to turn around in a car park(Jesselake). And have you never bumped into the same person twice in one day (bill odie). Do u no the facts of this women who i'm guessing shouldnt be driving as she has a frozen shoulder!!! and happily parks on double yellow lines!!! the problem with this town is people believe everything and before having FACTS

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bobby123 says...
6:02pm Sun 21 Mar 10

Just because this lady was disabled doesn't give her the right to report a load of lies in order to get her sympathy and compensation! The lady accused of assault was in the chemist when Mrs Simmonds came back to her car, the accused lady's husband was waiting in his car as there were no parking spaces, blocking Mrs Simmonds in so he reversed into a disabled space next to her so that she could get out, but as the accused lady came out of the chemist she started to verbally abuse her about parking in a disabled space. I was gobsmacked to read Mrs Simmonds version of events and god forbid anyone else who tries to do her a good turn by getting out of her way so she could of driven off.
I sincerely hope the police prosecute her for wasting police time.

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Chairman Alf says...
8:14am Mon 22 Mar 10

As always there are two sides to a story..... Interestingly this also raises a question regarding Mrs Simmonds frozen shoulder, does it thaw out when she is driving ?

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bobby123 says...
6:04pm Mon 22 Mar 10

Mrs Simmons then drove to Sainsbury’s to buy a pack of cigarettes to calm herself down.

When she arrived she saw the woman walking towards her, and believes the couple had followed her from the surgery.

The above implies that the couple were already at Sainsbury's when Mrs Simmonds arrived and so begs the question was it not Mrs Simmonds who followed them?
Mrs Simmonds said she went to Sainsburys to get a packet of cigarettes to calm herself down something she could of got from Morrisons which would of been closer for her from where she was in Hathaway chemist car park!!!

Please Mrs Simmonds stop upsetting honest, law abiding members of the public.

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Bottom Of The Barrel says...
3:49pm Tue 23 Mar 10

Bit of a slack week on the news front in Chippenham? Nothing else to report?

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chippychap59 says...
4:40pm Tue 23 Mar 10

I agree, what a non event to put in the paper, they must of been desperate for a story!!!

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Jim Pancy says...
8:25am Wed 24 Mar 10

Bottom Of The Barrel wrote:
Bit of a slack week on the news front in Chippenham? Nothing else to report?
A assault on a disabled person should be reported even if it's only an allegation. Should it turn out that the victim is an attention-seeking and aggressive liar then that would be worth reporting too. How many of us know what really happened here? I certainly don't.

I've got a frozen shoulder as well and I consider it a slight inconvenience and certainly not a disability.

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