Crash Caused By Phone Gambler Led To Premature Birth

26 February 2026
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George TorrEast Midlands


A guy who was gambling on his phone when he crashed into an automobile, triggering a pregnant woman to offer birth prematurely, has actually been imprisoned.


Jack Bentley hit a fixed Nissan X-Trail queuing in traffic on the A50 in Hatton, Derbyshire, on 6 April.


Police said the driver of the Nissan suffered whiplash and the pregnant guest was rushed into medical facility with a fractured pelvis. Two other children in the very same vehicle suffered injuries while the family's family pet dog was seriously hurt and needed to undergo emergency situation surgical treatment.


Bentley, 30, admitted two counts of causing major injury by hazardous driving and was imprisoned for 28 months at Derby Crown Court and prohibited from driving for 38 months.


After the crash the pregnant lady needed to undergo an emergency Caesarean section, leaving her premature baby in intensive take care of a number of weeks, when she suffered two collapsed lungs.


The infant later made a recovery and was able to go home.


Derbyshire Police stated Bentley, of Meadow Way, Derby, had actually been taking a trip home from Blackpool when the accident happened at 18:45 BST.


A motorist in the left-hand lane caught the video on her dashcam, which was used as proof.


Bentley, driving in the right-hand lane, did not see the fixed traffic and crashed without changing his speed, police stated.


He was seen previously diverting into the lawn edge of the eastbound carriageway in between junctions 6 and 5, in addition to swerving between lanes.


Bentley was jailed at the scene. Analysis of his phone information following the crash revealed he had actually been utilizing his phone while driving, checking out online betting sites, the force stated.


'Missed early minutes'


In a victim effect declaration, the mom stated: "I needed an emergency Caesarean due to my baby being in distress. I discovered this very terrible and didn't desire my infant to be born like that and that early.


"My child was born without skin-to-skin contact and me and my needed to wait to see her.


"When you have an infant you expect to be in a bubble with your partner and newborn but we were separated throughout three wards in the healthcare facility and missed out on a lot in those early moments.


"No mother or dad ought to have to go through this.


"The next 3 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 dreadful display of driving by Bentley, who invested the majority of his journey distracted by being on his phone.


"I know that the physical, mental and psychological trauma from this incident continues to effect on this household, who were merely heading out their day when this completely preventable collision occurred."


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