Phone Gambler's 71mph Crash Injures Pregnant Family

A 71mph collision, caused by a prison officer gambling on his phone, has left a young family with life-altering injuries. Jack Bentley, 30, was driving on the A50 in Derby when his Ford Focus struck a Nissan X-Trail in stationary traffic. The occupants, a pregnant woman, her partner, and their two children, were travelling home to Yorkshire.

The impact necessitated an emergency C-section for the woman at 33 weeks gestation. Her newborn daughter, weighing just four pounds, required intensive care for several weeks. The collision also resulted in a fractured ankle for one of the children and spinal surgery for the family dog.

Bentley admitted to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Dashcam footage revealed he spent most of his two-hour journey playing games and placing online bets. He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison and banned from driving for over three years.

The woman described the experience as traumatic, detailing the separation from her newborn and the fear during her daughter's critical health episodes. She emphasized the unexpected and harrowing nature of the birth and early infancy.