Crash Triggered By Phone Gambler Led To Premature Birth
26 February 2026
ShareSave
George TorrEast Midlands
A guy who was betting on his phone when he crashed into a cars and truck, causing a pregnant woman to provide birth too soon, has actually been jailed.
Jack Bentley hit a stationary Nissan X-Trail queuing in traffic on the A50 in Hatton, Derbyshire, on 6 April.
Police stated the motorist of the Nissan suffered whiplash and the pregnant traveler was rushed into health center with a fractured pelvis. Two other children in the very same automobile suffered injuries while the pet dog was seriously hurt and needed to go through emergency surgery.
Bentley, 30, confessed two counts of causing severe injury by hazardous driving and was jailed for 28 months at Derby Crown Court and banned from driving for 38 months.
After the crash the pregnant female had to undergo an emergency Caesarean area, leaving her early baby in intensive take care of a number of weeks, when she suffered two collapsed lungs.
The infant later on made a healing and was able to go home.
Derbyshire Police said Bentley, of Meadow Way, Derby, had been taking a trip home from Blackpool when the collision happened at 18:45 BST.
A chauffeur in the left-hand lane caught the video footage on her dashcam, which was utilized as evidence.
Bentley, driving in the right-hand lane, did not see the fixed traffic and crashed without modifying his speed, cops said.
He was seen earlier veering into the turf edge of the eastbound carriageway in between junctions 6 and 5, as well as swerving between lanes.
Bentley was detained at the scene. Analysis of his phone information following the crash revealed he had actually been utilizing his phone while driving, going to online gambling sites, the force stated.
'Missed early minutes'
In a victim impact declaration, the mom said: "I needed an emergency Caesarean due to my baby remaining in distress. I found this very terrible and didn't want my infant to be born like that and that early.
"My child was born without skin-to-skin contact and me and my partner had to wait to see her.
"When you have a baby you expect to be in a bubble with your partner and newborn infant but we were separated across 3 wards in the medical facility and lost out on a lot in those early moments.
"No mom or dad need to need to go through this.
"The next three weeks we invested in healthcare facility getting our baby strong enough to come home."
Following sentencing on 11 February, PC Richard Morris, from Derbyshire Police, stated: "This was a terrible screen of driving by Bentley, who spent the bulk of his journey distracted by being on his phone.
"I understand that the physical, mental and psychological injury from this incident continues to effect on this household, who were merely going out their day when this wholly preventable accident took place."
Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or by means of WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.