A TEENAGER was very lucky to avoid serious injury when he crashed a runaway go kart, a court heard.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had just agreed to buy the Go-Kart from a man on a street corner for £200, Consett Magistrates’ Court was told today.

But when he drove it down the street, the throttle stuck, the brakes failed and the kart careered into a parked car.

The car’s owner came out of his house to find the kart trapped half-under his vehicle, prosecutor Blair Martin said.

The teenager shouted for help before hobbling away, making no effort to speak to the car owner.

He had suffered injuries including a broken nose and was later taken to hospital.

The teenager pleaded guilty to driving without a licence and without insurance.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, said he was very lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries and it was a case of “lesson learned”.

Eileen Little, the presiding magistrate, said it was a nasty incident and the teenager had been reckless.

She sentenced the 17-year-old to a six-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £150 compensation, £85 court costs and a £10 victim surcharge.

He will also have six points placed on his licence.

The incident happened in Shotton Colliery, east Durham, on Saturday, September 27, last year.