Horror moment teen driver causes 'life-changing' head-on crash after 'showing off' to girl
Share:
This is the horror moment a newly-qualified driver loses control of his car while "showing off", causing a head-on-crash which resulted in "life-changing" injuries. Both Gareth Jones' passenger and the driver of the car he hit suffered injuries in the collision on the B4333 near Newcastle Emlyn in West Wales on the afternoon of May 30, 2023. Swansea Crown Court heard the driver was "showing off" to his female passenger when he ploughed into an oncoming car.
A judge described the teenager's driving as "utterly ridiculous" and "stupid in the extreme" but said the defendant's young age would save him from a sentence of immediate custody. Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said a red Jaguar car was heading towards Newcastle Emlyn and its driver was slowing down on the approach to a sharp right-hand bend when he saw a white Dacia car rounding the corner and crossing onto the wrong side of the road in front of him.
The court heard the driver of the Jaguar swerved to try to avoid a crash but there was a "heavy impact" which caused significant damage to the front of both vehicles. The driver of the Jaguar got out of his car and spoke to the driver of the Dacia - the then 17-year-old Jones - who apologised and said he was going too fast. The court heard the speed limit on the stretch of road in question was 60mph, Wales Online reported.
The prosecutor said the driver of the Jaguar initially declined medical treatment from paramedics at the scene, but later went to hospital with whiplash injuries to his back and neck and tenderness to his rib cage. A scan then found a bleed on the brain and he was kept in hospital for observations.
