A firefighter has been fined £500 after jumping a red light to get to an accident.

Giuseppe Sacco's fire engine collided with a Ford Transit van while on its way to the 999 call.

The crash knocked van driver Darren Warden, 21, unconscious and left him with a fractured pelvis, a punctured lung, cracked ribs, an injured shoulder and cuts.

Sacco, 39, yesterday pleaded guilty to careless driving when he appeared at Worthing Magistrates' Court.

The firefighter was driving down Broadwater Road, Worthing, with his blue lights flashing and his horns sounding while on his way to a road traffic accident involving a trapped elderly woman on October 31 last year.

Gavin Argent, prosecuting, told the court Sacco was driving reasonably fast when he approached the traffic lights near the junction with Cecilian Avenue, where a hedge causes sight-line difficulties for vehicles coming from north to south down Broadwater Road.

He said: "It's right to say that some of the witnesses indicate that it was their perception that the fire appliance was not slowing down."

Mr Argent said the fire engine crashed into the side of the van. He said Mr Warden has a complete memory blank about the accident and the next thing he remembers is waking up in a hospital bed.

Richard Hearnden, defending, told the court Sacco was driving up to 50 miles per hour and slowed down to between 15 and 20 miles per hour on reaching the junction.

He said: "He simply didn't slow down enough. He didn't see the van."

Mr Hearnden said the van driver's stereo was on very loud and that might explain why he did not or could not hear the sirens.

He also said Mr Warden did not appear to have been wearing a seat belt and this may have aggravated his injuries.

Sacco has been a full-time firefighter since 1998 and a retained firefighter since 1991. He has had a driving licence for 20 years without receiving a single penalty point and has taken a number of fire engine driving courses.

Mr Hearnden stressed this was Sacco's first accident.

He said: "This conviction is a very serious dent in his pride. He has been suspended from driving fire appliances since November last year. Some disciplinary action may follow."

District Judge Graham Parsons said Sacco would have been hailed a hero had he succeeded in getting to the elderly woman trapped in her car but instead his lack of care resulted in the van driver's serious injuries. He said no amount of compensation would satisfy Mr Warden who would much rather the accident hadn't happened.

He told Sacco: "It's always undoubtedly very sad to have somebody such as you, whose primary job is to save lives, in front of a court charged with an offence committed during the course of employment when on their way to try and save another life."

Sacco was fined £500 and ordered to pay £450 costs. His licence was endorsed with six penalty points. Mr Warden is seeking compensation through the civil courts.