Assistant Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police dealt with by magistrates on careless driving charge
One of Lincolnshire's most senior police officers has reportedly been fined after admitting to driving without due care and attention.
Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson was dealt with in her absence by Nottingham magistrates today in relation to a collision near Lincolnshire Police headquarters in Deepdale Lane, Nettleham, on December 21, 2018.
One media report claimed that Wilson, who joined Lincolnshire Police in July 2018, was making a "hands-free" call in her car when the collision happened.
She was driving a Mini Countryman which was in collision with a Hyundai i30 just under five miles from Lincoln city centre.
Both drivers were treated for minor injuries and Ms Wilson accepted soon afterwards that she was at fault.
In a statement following her sentence, Ms Wilson said: "Never having been in an accident at which I was at fault before, this incident has really shaken me.
"I would like to apologise to the other driver and thank the officers involved in the investigation."
Following the collision, a full police investigation was carried out which led to the Crown Prosecution Service deciding that the matter could be dealt with by a court.
Reports claimed that Wilson wrote to magistrates and explained that as she had only been driving the Mini for a week, she was unfamiliar with its controls.
It was during a call to her partner that the accident happened, with one report suggesting that Wilson ended up "straddling both sides of the road before she ran into oncoming traffic".
Magistrates reportedly fined Wilson a total of £1,460, including a £125 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
She was also given seven points on her driving licence, with 12 or more penalty points within a three-year period resulting in a ban.
Wilson said: "It is not easy for them to investigate a senior officer but they have done so with due diligence, respect and professionalism throughout.
"If there is any message I can give to other drivers from my experience it is that we need to be fully focused on driving when we are behind the wheel.
"We also need to get familiar with any new car as quickly as possible before driving it".
Following the outcome of the case, a Lincolnshire Police spokesman confirmed that "an internal conduct enquiry will follow".
Ironically, before joining the county's police force, Wilson was an armed response and roads policing commander with Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit (CDSOU).