A teenage driver who crashed head-on into a lorry on the Mountain Road has been fined £600 for careless driving.

Daniel James Tristan McCance sent a postal admission to the offence and also had his licence endorsed with six penalty points.

The 18-year-old was said to have suffered ‘life-changing’ injuries as a result of the crash.

The court heard that McCance, who lives at Windsor Road in Ramsey, had passed his test 11 months before the accident.

On June 27, at 7.30am, he was driving a Ford Focus, approaching the end of Mountain Mile.

His front nearside wheel went into a ditch which caused him to lose control of the car and crash head-on into an oncoming HGV.

The Focus bounced back in the Douglas bound carriageway, coming to rest on an embankment, while the lorry hit a wall, narrowly avoiding rolling down a field.

McCance, his passenger, and the lorry driver all received hospital treatment.

The defendant was interviewed by police on August 8 and said he had little recollection of the incident.

He said he had turned left around the Hairpin and had been travelling at 45 to 50mph.

McCance said that he drove on the Mountain Road daily and on the morning in question the road had been wet, and it had been dark and overcast.

An examination of his vehicle found no defects.

McCance was said to have suffered a severe head injury which was treated in the UK.

His passenger and the lorry driver only suffered bruising.

The defendant did not attend court but sent written mitigation, saying that he had suffered a life-changing injury but could only be grateful no-one else had been badly injured.

Deputy High Bailiff Rachael Braidwood also ordered McCance to pay £50 prosecution costs.

He will pay the fine and costs at a rate of £200 per month.