A SPEEDING motorist who crashed into a pregnant woman's car - causing her to lose her unborn baby and leaving her and her daughter with life-changing injuries has been jailed.

Stuart Wells of Sherborne, Dorset, was driving along the B3151 near Somerton on March 28, 2018 when he veered out into the middle of the road and hit a man's car before hitting the woman's car head on.

The woman was 26 weeks pregnant at the time of the incident and lost her baby as well suffering fractures to her right tibia and fibula.

Her daughter, who was two years and nine months old at time of the crash, suffered damage to her spinal cord and her unborn daughter suffered a fractured skull.

Prosecuting Mr Sherlock said Wells was driving home from work and left junction 23 of the M5 before joining the A39 towards Street.

Witnesses said they saw Wells 'drifting' across white lines in the middle of the road and 'tailgated' vehicles on a number of occasions before he turned onto the B3151 towards Somerton and said he was 'fortunate' to have not hit oncoming vehicles.

Mr Sherlock said a little while later Wells started to drift into the road again and Mr Walker, who was driving behind Wells on B3151, said he nearly hit a car and he 'couldn't believe' the standard of his driving.

The court heard the B3151 had a speed limit of 40mph and Mr Walker said he was travelling at 45mph but Wells was 'pulling away' from him as he drove down the road.

Mr Sherlock said Wells drifted into the middle of the road as he came around a bend and into the path of a blue Peugeot being driven by the pregnant woman's husband.

Wells hit the car with some force causing it to spin off the road but continued driving and collided head on with a yellow SEAT carrying the pregnant woman and her daughter.

The court heard the cars collided with such force that they were thrown into the air and spun around and when Mr Walker confronted Wells after the crash he said he did not know what had happened.

When he was interviewed by police Wells claimed he sneezed at the wheel which made him lose concentration but he later withdrew that claim at a hearing in Taunton Crown Court.

He was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash.

The prosecution said the woman and her daughter were separated for a number of weeks while they received treatment at different hospitals after the incident.

The young girl was put in a medically induced coma for two weeks and had to have a number of operations as the damage the crash caused to her back left her paralysed. Fortunately she has regained feeling in her limbs and has spent the last four months recovering with her mother.

In an emotional victim impact statement the pregnant woman said the family were on their way to buy a new family car in preparation for their new arrival and said she felt 'totally inadequate as a mum' as she couldn't help her daughter after the incident.

"My daughter was screaming and I couldn't get to her, it was every parents nightmare," she said. "I was in excruciating pain having my leg manipulated back into shape. I was heartbroken when my daughter was showing no signs of life.

"I had to make the unthinkable decision of getting my husband to leave our daughter so he could come and say goodbye to our baby.

"For 10 weeks I was a prisoner in my own home. He robbed our daughter of a normal childhood.

"A broken neck and damaged spinal cord leaves a lasting effect on her life.

"It is heartbreaking that no prosecution can be brought for our unborn daughter's life."

The woman's husband said the incident 'invariably tore' their lives apart and said the incident caused the family 'unquestionable physical and emotional pain' which cannot be undone.

Defending Patrick Mason said Wells' was 'fatigued' at the time of the crash as he had driven further than he had anticipated and said his life has changed 'irrevocably' since the incident.

He said: "The injuries that we have heard about; it is really hard to imagine anything worse.

"He (Wells) may seem like a guarded person still underneath it all he is a good person. People speak very highly of him.

"He was a good driver up until this incident."

When sentencing Wells, Judge David Ticehurst, said there was no sentence that he could impose which could bring solace to the family affected as much as he wished there was.

"You were drifting in and out of the road for a prolonged period of your journey," Judge Ticehurst said.

"You collided with with a woman...her daughter suffered life changing injuries and she lost the baby she was carrying, she was undoubtedly a person but she is not recognised by the legal system as such.

"The effects this has had on this family have been devastating and will effect them for the rest of their lives.

"It is clear that apart from this incident you are a decent and caring young man.

"It will have a lasting effect on you for the rest of your life.

"You did not fully admit your guilt at the first opportunity and that has caused additional distress for the family."

Judge Ticehurst sentenced Wells to three years and seven months in prison, and disqualified him from driving for six years and 10 months.

He told the woman: "Your daughter will one day look at the scars around her head as a halo rather than a reminder of what happened."

Investigating officer PC Owen Davies, from the Road Policing Unit, said; “The family had just bought the bigger Peugeot in anticipation of their new arrival.

"They were driving home in convoy when Wells, driving dangerously, drifted onto their side of the road and collided with both of their vehicles.

"The resulting injuries sustained by the woman and their daughter, have had a profound effect on their lives while the loss of their unborn baby has been truly devastating for the family.

"Their injuries and loss will continue to have implications for the rest of their lives."

He added: "I’m sure Wells did not set out that day to cause a horrific collision but this case goes to show that when you are driving a vehicle on a public road, concentration and alertness are paramount for your own safety as well as other road users.

"Wells will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life

"This case sends out a strong message that motorists who drive dangerously on the roads will find themselves facing significant consequences.”