A MAN crashed his car into a street sign and lamp-post before ending up in someone's front garden, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that David Peter Hartshorn told police he ran off after the smash because he panicked when he saw people approaching his car.

When he was spoken to several days later, he denied that he had been drinking prior to the crash.

Hartshorn, 40, of Percy Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to failing to stop after an accident. He was fined £200 with £35 costs and his licence endorsed with eight penalty points.

Tom Snape, prosecuting, said that about 9.20pm the car driven by Hartshorn had collided with a street sign in Beverley Street before crossing the road and bouncing off a tree. It smashed through a garden wall before coming to a halt, at which stage Hartshorn ran off.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said a number of people were running towards the car and Hartshorn thought they were doing so in a menacing, threatening manner.