Crash Triggered By Phone Gambler Led To Premature Birth

26 February 2026
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George TorrEast Midlands


A male who was gambling on his phone when he crashed into a vehicle, triggering a pregnant lady to give birth prematurely, has been jailed.


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


Police stated the chauffeur of the Nissan suffered whiplash and the pregnant passenger was rushed into healthcare facility with a fractured hips. Two other kids in the same automobile suffered injuries while the family's family pet canine was seriously hurt and needed to undergo emergency surgery.


Bentley, 30, admitted two counts of triggering severe injury by unsafe driving and was jailed 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 situation Caesarean area, leaving her early baby in intensive take care of a variety of weeks, when she suffered two collapsed lungs.


The child later on made a healing 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 crash took place at 18:45 BST.


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


Bentley, driving in the right-hand lane, did not see the and crashed without altering his speed, authorities said.


He was seen previously diverting into the lawn verge of the eastbound carriageway between junctions 6 and 5, along with swerving in between lanes.


Bentley was apprehended at the scene. Analysis of his phone information following the crash showed he had actually been utilizing his phone while driving, visiting online gaming sites, the force stated.


'Missed early moments'


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


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


"When you have a baby you expect to be in a bubble with your partner and newborn infant but we were separated throughout three wards in the health center and missed out on out on so much in those early moments.


"No mother or daddy ought to need to go through this.


"The next three weeks we invested in health center 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 spent the majority of his journey sidetracked by being on his phone.


"I understand that the physical, psychological and psychological injury from this incident continues to effect on this family, who were merely heading out their day when this entirely avoidable collision took place."


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