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A driver who ploughed into two cars causing a pregnant woman to lose her unborn child and left her three-year-old daughter paralysed has been jailed.

Stuart Wells, 29, was driving on the wrong side of the road when he smashed into two cars being driven by Tom Luxon and his wife Jackie.

Mr Luxon’s Peugeot 307 was rammed into a hedge before Wells careered into his wife’s Seat Ibiza which was in convoy on the B3151 in Somerset.

The couple were driving home after buying a bigger car ahead of the arrival of their second child when Wells crashed into them on March 28 last year.

Mrs Luxon, who was 26 weeks pregnant, was airlifted to hospital but doctors were unable to save her unborn baby. She also suffered a broken leg.

The couple’s three-year-old daughter who was in the back seat of her mother’s car suffered a broken neck in the crash.

She was placed in a medically induced coma and spent four months in hospital before finally being released.

Wells, of Sherborne, Dorset, admitted two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

On Friday he was jailed at Taunton Crown Court for three years and seven months and banned from driving for five years.

Judge David Ticehurst said: "Mr and Mrs Luxon were looking forward to the birth of their child in a few weeks and the fact she is not recognised by the law no doubt adds to their sense of loss."

Witnesses saw Wells’ Ford Fiesta driving erratically along the A39 and the B3151 prior to the collision.

They reported seeing the vehicle drifting across the carriageway, veering both onto the verge as well as onto the wrong side of the road.

One witness described how he drove aggressively behind her car in what she perceived to be an effort to force her to speed up or pull over.

The court heard Wells’ Ford Fiesta collided with the side of Tom Luxon’s Peugeot 307 travelling in the opposite direction on a straight section of road. This caused the vehicle to spin out of control, colliding with a large hedge.

The Ford Fiesta then collided head on with a Seat Ibiza driven by Mr Luxon’s wife, Jackie.

The force of the impact threw both vehicles into the air before they eventually settled on opposite sides of the road, a fourth vehicle, a VW Polo then collided at slow speed with the Seat Ibiza.

When he was interviewed by police, Wells stated he did not recall drifting across the carriageway and had not been driving aggressively. He stated he had sneezed, which resulted in him closing his eyes and colliding with the oncoming vehicles.

In court he admitted driving dangerously and causing the collision.

(Image: Runcorn Weekly News)

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Jackie Luxon said: “We were really excited to be starting the next chapter of our lives and were heading out to pick up a new family car in preparation for the birth of our second daughter. On heading back from picking our new car, everything changed for us in a matter of seconds.

“The aftermath of the collision was terrifying, my daughter was screaming out in pain and calling for help which I was unable to give as I was trapped and could not move to help her. This was the start of every parent’s worst nightmare. I was 26 weeks pregnant at the time and was so concerned about both of my children.

“My heart was torn to pieces when we were informed that my baby girl no longer showed signs of life.

“It’s heart-breaking that no prosecution can be brought for the loss of her life…we hope that consideration is made for changes to this law going forward.”

A statement from Tom Luxon added: “The outcomes of that day both physically and emotionally will stay with us for life and whilst we don’t know what the final outcome will be for everyone’s recovery, we do know that life will never be the same.”

Investigating officer PC Owen Davies, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “The Luxon’s 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 Mrs Luxon 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.”