Mother left needing 24/7 care after speeding driver jumped red light near Dudley and hit her car
Motorist suffered life-changing head injuries in three-car crash caused by speeding driver
A mother of one was left receiving round-the-clock care after a speeding driver who jumped a red light near Dudley struck her car which came to rest on its roof.
Belinda Sprigg, aged 39, was left in a critical condition after the collision involving her Skoda, a Mercedes, and a Peugeot at the traffic light junction of Church Road, St Andrew's Street and Marriott Road, in Netherton, on August 6, 2023.
She suffered severe head and brain injuries as a result of the major incident, which happened at around 5.34pm on a Sunday.
Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that Mercedes driver Richard Cook, aged 43, was travelling at speeds of around 40mph in a 30mph residential zone when he was almost 22 yards from the junction and ignored a red light, causing the crash.
Sentencing him on Wednesday (June 17) Judge Michael Chambers KC said: “I am quite satisfied on the evidence I have seen and heard that you deliberately jumped the red light. The fact that the light on the left was not working should have put you on notice that care should be taken as you approached the junction.
“The CCTV is quite dramatic and shows you travelling at a relatively high speed, making no attempt to slow down.
”Miss Spriggs was 36 at the time. We have been told that she has a young daughter.
“She suffered traumatic head and brain injuries and was in an induced coma for weeks afterwards. She remained in hospital until September 13.
“She requires 24/7 care and has lost everything due to the ongoing effects of her life-changing injuries. A feature of this tragic case is that her family have to support her and her daughter at great sacrifice.
“This is a Category One case in my judgement due to firstly your decision to ignore the rules of the road and secondly the speed was significantly excessive.
“This is another case where the powers of the court given by Parliament are wholly inadequate when culpability is high. In my judgement had this been a conviction after trial the sentence would be four years’ imprisonment.”
The court heard that employed Cook was ”genuinely remorseful”, his family would struggle financially if he was sent to prison and he would lose his job.
Judge Chambers said Cook, who initially pleaded not guilty to an offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, only changed his plea to guilty ahead of the trial listed for June 8 this year. He gave him 15 per cent sentence discount.
However, the judge then used his discretionary powers to jail Cook for five years. The defendant must also pay the victims’ surcharge.
Numerous emergency crews rushed to the scene of the crash. Miss Spriggs was taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment while the Peugeot driver was treated for minor injuries at the scene. Another man was treated for a suspected medical condition before being taken to Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital.
West Midlands Police appealed for witnesses and for dashcam footage to help the investigation. Cook, of Chickerell Road, Weymouth, was initially arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol.