Baby showered in glass after car crash with moped rider in Tipton

Twenty-year-old Lewis Saunders, of Tipton, rode down the wrong side of the road and through red lights before colliding with a family’s car where a three-month-old baby and a three-year-old were passengers at the junction of High Street and Upper Church Lane shortly before 8.40pm on April 9 this year.

He was arrested after falling off the moped during the incident. As a result of the crash the two children in the car were left covered in glass, but were otherwise unhurt.

The repeat offender, of Haig Road, admitted offences of dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance at an earlier hearing.

He was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday for the latest offences.

Mr Patrick Kelly, prosecuting counsel, said: “Police officers were on patrol in the Upper Church Lane aea of Tipton when they noticed people interacting with people on a moped and an off-road bike. They were concerned that it may be related to criminal activities.

“The defendant was riding a moped. The police attempted to stop him. They put on blue lights, but the riders road away at speed in an area with 30mph signs reaching speeds of 50mph and fleeing by riding down the wrong side of the road. He passing through red lights and in doing so collided with a Seat. Inside were a three-month-old baby and a three-year-old child. The children were left showered in glass.

“The defendant fell off the moped on impact with the car and then got up an initially limped away on foot before lying down in the road. When the officers reached him, he claimed he wasn’t riding the moped, but was getting a lift.”

Mr Kelly said the defendant may have been trying to get on the back of the off-road bike when he was arrested. That bike rider escaped.

The court heard Saunders was banned from the road on August 19, 2025 for a previous dangerous driving offence and was in breach of his 12-month community order by committing the new offences. He was also on bail for other matters at the time of his latest arrest.

Miss Mia McNevin, defending, said Saunders accepted that his behaviour crossed the custody threshold. She said he had been diagnosed with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and opposition defiance disorder (ODD) and was being investigated for bipolar disorder. She asked the court to step back from sending him into custody due to his issues and age. She added that he was prone to be “impressionable” and was getting help at Dudley’s Bushey Fields psychiatric unit.

But Recorder William Douglas-Jones replied: “You are a young man who doesn’t seem to care.” “I have taken account of your age, immaturity and your neuro divergences. I find it difficult to see a realistic prospect of rehabilitation for you in the community.”

For dangerous driving Saunders was jailed for 14 months and for driving while banned he was jailed for four months concurrently after being given a one-third discount for his guilty pleas. There was no separate penalty for no insurance. He was given an extended road ban for two years and seven months. He must serve at least 40 per cent of the term before being released on licence. He must pay the victims’ surcharge.

At the time of the crash an ambulance crew raced the major road junction to assist.