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 mum-to-be were trapped in their cars and had to be cut out by firefighters. The woman suffered multiple and complex fractures to the bones in her feet and ankles in the crash and required a number of operations but 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 the 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.
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Emergency services were soon on the scene with police closing the road while firefighters cut the drivers out of the wreckage. 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 underwent scans followed by surgery.
Meanwhile Rees was spoken to by roads policing officers at the scene and he told them he had drunk 13 cans of Stella Artois before before going to bed after midnight. A breath test showed the 36-year-old was over the drink-drive limit and he was arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol before being allowed to go to hospital.
The following day he was interviewed at Carmarthen police station where he 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 – and he was released under investigation. The court heard the result of the blood test subsequently showed Rees had 39mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – the legal limit being 80 – 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 crash investigation concluded Rees' car had been on the wrong side of the road at the time of the collision and an examination of the vehicle found the speedometer and rev counter were frozen at 55mph and 2,500rpm respectively and the Citroen had been in fifth gear. The court heard the victim, who was six months pregnant, suffered multiple and serious fractures to the bones in her feet and ankles – including the "shattering" of one bone – and required a number of operations. However the unborn baby was unharmed.
In the months after the crash the woman's mobility was significant 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. Though the injuries are healing she has been left walking 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 dad-of-two was genuinely remorseful for what happened. He said the overtaking manoeuvre had been an "impulsive and reckless decision" made under the influence of alcohol and one which has had life-changing impacts for everyone involved.
Judge Geraint Walters told Rees that on a dark and damp December morning, and 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 on any view the defendant’s driving had been profoundly dangerous and he said it was a miracle nobody had died.
The judge said he accepted Rees was genuinely remorseful but he said those who treat the road with disrespect must face the consequences when they cause serious injury. 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 to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant 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. Dyfed-Powys Police did not have a custody mugshot of the defendant.
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