Crash Brought On By Phone Gambler Led To Premature Birth

26 February 2026
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George TorrEast Midlands


A guy who was betting on his phone when he crashed into an automobile, causing a pregnant woman to provide birth too soon, has been imprisoned.


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


Police said the driver of the Nissan suffered and the pregnant guest was rushed into health center with a fractured pelvis. Two other children in the very same automobile suffered injuries while the family's pet dog was seriously hurt and had to go through emergency situation surgical treatment.


Bentley, 30, admitted two counts of triggering severe injury by unsafe driving and was jailed for 28 months at Derby Crown Court and banned from driving for 38 months.


After the crash the pregnant lady needed to undergo an emergency Caesarean area, leaving her early child in extensive look after a number of weeks, when she suffered 2 collapsed lungs.


The baby later made a recovery and had the ability to go home.


Derbyshire Police said Bentley, of Meadow Way, Derby, had been travelling home from Blackpool when the crash took place at 18:45 BST.


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


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


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


Bentley was apprehended at the scene. Analysis of his phone data following the crash showed he had been using his phone while driving, going to online gambling websites, the force stated.


'Missed early moments'


In a victim impact statement, the mom said: "I needed an emergency situation Caesarean due to my baby being in distress. I found this extremely traumatic and didn't desire my infant to be born like that which early.


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


"When you have a child you anticipate to be in a bubble with your partner and newborn but we were separated across three wards in the health center and missed out on out on a lot in those early moments.


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


"The next three weeks we invested in medical facility getting our child strong enough to come home."


Following sentencing on 11 February, PC Richard Morris, from Derbyshire Police, said: "This was a dreadful display screen of driving by Bentley, who invested the majority of his journey distracted by being on his phone.


"I understand that the physical, mental and emotional injury from this incident continues to influence on this household, who were merely heading out their day when this entirely avoidable accident took place."


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