Driver jailed after crashing into pregnant woman
A DRIVER who spent the night drinking before getting behind the wheel after less than five hours’ sleep crashed head-on into a car being driven by a heavily-pregnant woman, a court has heard.
Rhodri Rees was speeding and on the wrong side of the road when he slammed into the oncoming car as he overtook a slower vehicle in front of him on a bend.
Both the defendant and the mumto-be were trapped in their cars and had to be cut out by firefighters. The woman, who was six months’ pregnant, suffered multiple and complex fractures to the bones in her feet and ankles and required several operations, though her unborn baby was unharmed.
Swansea Crown Court heard the incident happened on the road between Llanelli and Cross Hands on the morning of December 11, 2020 while the victim was driving to work in her Vauxhall Astra.
Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said that at 7.20am the woman was approaching a bend on a 40mph stretch of road when she was confronted by the headlights of a Citroen car coming straight towards her on her side of the road.
He said there was a “massive” impact as the cars collided head-on and both drivers were left trapped in their cars.
The court heard that despite suffering multiple fractures to her legs and feet and being in considerable pain, the female driver’s concern was for her unborn baby. After being treated at the scene, she was rushed to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, where she had scans followed by surgery.
Meanwhile, Rees was spoken to by police at the scene and he told them he had drunk 13 cans of Stella Artois before before going to bed after midnight.
The following day the 36-year-old told officers he had drunk eight or nine cans of Fosters lager before going to bed around 2am and then getting up at 6.45am before setting off in his car.
He said he had felt tired but okay to drive and that he “misjudged” an overtaking manoeuvre. A sample of blood was taken just before 1pm on December 11, more than five and a half hours after the crash.
The result of the blood test subsequently showed Rees had 39mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 80mg – but a blood alcohol expert had calculated that at the time of the smash the level of alcohol would have been no less than 113mg and more likely 129mg.
A subsequent examination of the vehicle found the speedometer and rev counter were frozen at 55mph and 2,500rpm respectively.
In the months after the crash the woman’s mobility was significantly affected and she was unable to walk without a frame or to use the toilet or wash without assistance. She was also not able to properly play with her newborn daughter.
She has been left with a limp, suffering from flashbacks and faces the prospect of further surgery along with long-term physiotherapy.
Rhodri Rees, of Tremyfoel, Penrhiwllan, Llandysul, Ceredigion, had previously pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
Stuart John, for Rees, said the dadof-two was genuinely remorseful. He said the overtaking manoeuvre had been an “impulsive and reckless decision” made under the influence of alcohol and one which had had lifechanging impacts for everyone involved.
Judge Geraint Walters told Rees that on a dark and damp December morning, knowing he had consumed a large amount of alcohol the night before, he had taken the “foolish but deliberate” decision to overtake a slower-moving vehicle.
He said the defendant’s driving had been profoundly dangerous and it was a miracle nobody had died.
With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Rees was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He must serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence.
He was disqualified from driving for three years, with the ban extended by an extra nine months to account for the length of time he will be behind bars. He must pass an extended test before he can get his licence back.