Driver in court over Rhoose lollipop lady crash

In June last year Robert Bell, 61, from Rhoose was driving his grand daughter to school when he allegedly lost control of his car and careered into lollipop lady Karin Williams and five children.

Brave Karin, 50, was helping the children cross the road when the black Audi A3 hit a speed bump outside Rhws Primary school.

She stepped in front of the car with her lollipop sign to take the impact and push the five primary school children to safety.

The car careered into the crowd of children at Rhws Junior School in Rhoose, near Barry, before flipping onto its roof.

Karin took the force of the crash as she stood with her patrol sign and was consigned to a wheelchair after breaking her legs, elbow, shoulder and ribs in the crash.

Four girls and a boy under the age of 10 were also injured along with two mothers who were walking them to school.

One of the girls suffered serious injuries and spent more than two months recovering at the paediatric intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Wales.

Karin spent seven weeks in hospital after the crash and is still having regular physiotherapy sessions.

Mother-of-one Karin had been the school lollipop lady for 11 years and a dinner lady there for eight.

She received a hero's welcome from parents and children when she visited the school last September after being released from hospital.

She said: "I just broke bones and they will heal. You either sink or swim and I’m swimming as I’m not going to give up.

"I can't remember much about what happened - it was all so quick.

"I remember having my sign in my hand, turning round and shouting and that was it.

"The next thing there were paramedics and firemen rescuing me."

Mr Bell, from Rhoose, is charged with driving without due care and attention.

He did not enter a plea at Cardiff magistrates' court and a trial is expected to be held later this year.