Man jailed after driving 'erratically' before crash

A van driver who drove around a bend on the wrong side of the road has been jailed for two years and four months.

Peter Gilmore, 51, of Bryn Salem, Felinfach, Ceredigion was seen driving "erratically" before crashing into a car on 1 February this year.

Swansea Crown Court heard on Thursday Gilmore was "flying" on the B4337 in the Talsarn area when he took a corner on the wrong side of the road and crashed straight into another vehicle at around 17:25 BST.

The judge told Gilmore it was "pure luck" that he had not killed the driver of the other car.

Dashcam footage of the collision shows Gilmore's van suddenly appearing from a blind bend and colliding head on with another car. Both vehicles stopped instantly as a result of the collision.

Hannah Hutton, the driver of the other car, had serious injuries including a fractured sternum, rib fractures and whiplash.

The court heard she also had to give up volunteering work since the collision and she had become a very nervous passenger.

Gilmore was found to be slurring his words when the emergency services arrived. He passed a breathalyser but his saliva tested positive for cannabis.

Later, when he was arrested, Gilmore refused to provide a blood sample when asked.

The court heard Gilmore was stopped and charged with drug driving in Aberystwyth earlier the same day.

Earlier in his journey on the A487 between Aberystwyth and Llanrhystud, Gilmore had been seen striking the kerb and swerving over the central white line, narrowly missing oncoming traffic near a school.

Other dashcam footage shows him narrowly missing a head-on collision with a bus whilst driving fast and attempting to overtake on a country road.

He was described as tailgating larger vehicles and weaving all over the road.

One witness said that he was travelling so close to a recovery vehicle, they thought he was being towed.

The court heard he had 44 previous convictions for 104 offences.

Judge Geraint Walters said that the details of the case were "truly disturbing".

He said it was "frankly remarkable" and "shocking" that Gilmore had chosen to drive after previously being stopped by police when he was "plainly, completely and utterly under the influence".

He added "you knew you were under the influence, of that there can be no doubt".

Gilmore was sentenced to two years four months in prison for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

For failing to provide a sample he was sentenced to four months to run concurrently. He has also been disqualified from driving for six years and two months.