A driver who was under the influence of drugs, crashed at a superspeed into a car with a family inside, with a four-year-old boy injured as a result.
Michael Stanley, 33, who was driving without a license, collided with the oncoming car after overtaking another vehicle, when driving up to 90mph on a rural road that had a 60mph limit.
The incident occurred on the A493 near Tywyn, Wales, in August 2021, as Stanley admitted to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for two years by a judge at Caernarfon Crown Court.
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Prosecutor Maria Masselis told the court that the family were driving in a BMW with their two sons at about 8:45pm when the crash occurred, WalesOnline reports.
Dave Elkins, a witness who was driving a Morrisons van in the opposite direction, was overtaken by a blue Vauxhall Grandland SUV.
(Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)
The court heard that Mr Elkins estimated that Stanley, the driver of the Grandland, was travelling at up to 90mph and subsequently lost control and collided with the BMW head-on.
The two children in the BMW were “shocked and crying” and were taken out of the car by the father as the police were alerted when Mr Elkins pushed his “SOS” button in his van.
The court heard Stanley, of Geufron House, Corbett Square, Tywyn, had told one of his passengers to take the blame as he was afraid his children would be removed from his care if authorities found out he was in the one behind the wheel.
After the four-year-old boy was taken to hospital alongside his family, it was confirmed that he needed emergency corrective surgery for a fractured wrist, for which he had to wear a cast for seven weeks.
The boy’s mother suffered mental strain following the incident as she sustained effects of post-traumatic stress disorder as well as developing anxiety and depression.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
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Deborah White, defending, said Stanley has his own “demons” but the 33-year-old takes full responsibility for his actions and is truly remorseful.
Stanley, who’s a father of three, also admitted to two drug driving offences, as judge Timothy Petts called it a “stupid idea” for Stanley to take wheel, before jailing him for two years.
He said: “You went driving when you should not have done. You have never passed a driving test and you had drugs in your system. It was clearly a stupid idea to drive but you did.
“You drove at high speed, estimated by a fellow driver to be 80mph to 90mph.”
The judge added: “To make matters worse after the collision you tried to persuade someone else who had been in your car to try to take the blame.”
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