A BRITISH Army steward who collided with an on-call ambulance ran away from his car because “he feared he was being followed”.

Konrad Skupinski hit the emergency service vehicle as he was trying to turn on to The Avenue, in Portswood, Southampton.

After knocking into the ambulance, the 28-year-old and his friend fled the scene without exchanging details with paramedics or reporting the road accident.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard that Skupinski was driving along Lodge Road before hitting traffic lights at the junction with The Avenue at around 11.30pm on June 24.

Charles Nightingale, prosecutor, told the court that although Skupinski initially saw the ambulance he manoeuvred into the path of it.

He said: “The ambulance approached the traffic lights and had its sirens and lights on.

“As it came past it’s as if he did not hit.

“The vehicle collided with the ambulance - which stopped to check to see if the defendant and his passenger were ok.

“The paramedic driver said he would drive around the corner to swap details.”

However, a woman in the Travelodge Southampton hotel - who witnessed the whole incident - told officers she saw the pair run away from the scene.

Jane Hiatt, mitigating, told the court that said Skupinski did not realise the ambulance had switched its sirens on and “should have checked his mirror again before moving off”.

She said: “The day before he was being threatened by a group of men and he was concerned and just panicked that they were around.

“The following day he was hit by those people who were chasing him.

“He received head injuries which showed that the fear he had on that day was real.”

The court heard that Skupinski was previously of good character and has worked as a British Army steward in Winchester for the last nine months.

Skupinski, of Commercial Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after a road accident and failing to report it.

He was fined £77 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.

His licence was also endorsed with five penalty points.