Gambling Driver Crashes Into Pregnant Mum, Baby Born Prematurely
A driver distracted by online gambling smashed into a stationary car on the A50, causing a pregnant woman to go into early labour. The chaotic crash also injured her family and seriously hurt their pet dog. Jack Bentley, 30, has now been locked up for dangerous driving.
Wild Driving on A50 Ends in Horrific Crash
Bentley’s Ford Focus swerved wildly between lanes and even veered onto the grass verge near junctions 6 and 5 at around 6.45pm on April 6. He smashed into the back of a Nissan X-Trail stuck in traffic, pushing it into another car.
The Nissan’s driver suffered whiplash. More seriously, the pregnant woman in the passenger seat fractured her pelvis and had to undergo an emergency C-section. Her baby was born premature and rushed to intensive care.
Family Left Traumatized, Dog Needs Emergency Surgery
The family’s two other children were injured in the crash, while their pet dog required urgent surgery. The mother bravely spoke out about the trauma:
“I needed an emergency caesarean due to my baby being in distress. It was horrible – I didn’t want my baby born so early or like that. We were separated in hospital and missed out on those precious first moments together. No parent should go through that.”
“The next three weeks were spent in hospital, watching her fight to survive. I was terrified when her lungs collapsed.”
Bentley Jailed for Two Years and Disqualified for Over Three
Bentley, from Meadow Way, Derby, was caught red-handed. Phone records showed he was browsing gambling sites on his journey from Blackpool.
At Derby Crown Court on 11 February 2026, he admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed for two years and four months and banned from driving for three years and two months.
Police Slam ‘Appalling’ Driving and Hope Sentence Brings Comfort
PC Richard Morris, leading the investigation, said:
“Bentley’s reckless driving and phone addiction caused this horrific crash. Had he paid attention, he could have stopped in time. Instead, he caused serious harm to a family and a dog, and forced a woman to give birth prematurely.
This needless tragedy continues to haunt the victims. I hope Bentley’s jail time offers them some comfort as they heal.”
