THE driver of a seaside promenade land train sent a mother flying in an "eight mile an hour" collision after being distracted by drinking a can of coke, a court heard.

Sean Rowe, 50, was driving the bright red vehicle, which was packed with families enjoying a trip to the beach, when he took his eyes off the road and hit mum-of-two Katie Schmidt.

Mrs Schmidt was walking with her two-year-old son along the promenade in Worthing when she was hit, leaving her with concussion and needing stitches on her buttocks.

Rowe, of Wallace Avenue, West Worthing, had been a driver on the privately owned, 20 foot-long attraction for three years prior to the collision and had never had an accident before.

Gaynor Bing, prosecuting, told Worthing Magistrates' Court witnesses had seen the defendant distracted by his can of soft drink before his low-speed collision.

She said: "At around 3.30pm on July 17 last year, Mr Rowe was drinking from a can of soft drink when he collided with Mrs Schmidt from behind as she held hands with her two-year-old son.

"Initially he stopped but then he drove off again, before returning shortly after and handing her a piece of paper with his details on.

"Mrs Schmidt was treated by paramedics at the scene before going to A&E."

"She believed the train was going at 20 miles per hour when it hit her, but Mr Rowe has said that he was only travelling at eight miles an hour at the time.

"Mr Rowe also told police that he does not believe him drinking was enough to cause the accident, but admitted it was not helpful to his driving."

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Schmidt, who works as a firefighter, said she was no longer able to visit the promenade after what had happened.

She said: "I still cannot go to the sea front now after what happened.

"If the train had hit my son instead of me I feel it would have been far more serious.

"I have put on a stone in weight since the incident and have lost a lot of fitness, which is important as a firefighter, and I struggle to keep up with the men now.

"I have vivid dreams about the crash, not about what happened to me though but about not being able to save my children from it."

Magistrate William Gibbons awarded Mrs Schmidt £1500 compensation and ordered Rowe to pay £150 costs and added seven points to his driving license.

Sentencing, Mr Gibbons said: "We are prepared to give you credit for your change of plea today from not guilty to guilty.

"We are not going to fine you, but seven points will be added to your licence and we are going to award Mrs Schmidt £1500 compensation."