Crash Triggered By Phone Gambler Led To Premature Birth

26 February 2026
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George TorrEast Midlands


A man who was betting on his phone when he crashed into a vehicle, causing a pregnant woman to provide 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 stated the driver of the Nissan suffered whiplash and the pregnant traveler was rushed into hospital with a fractured hips. Two other kids in the same vehicle suffered injuries while the household's family pet dog was seriously hurt and had to undergo emergency situation surgery.


Bentley, 30, confessed two counts of causing severe injury by harmful driving and was imprisoned for 28 months at Derby Crown Court and banned from driving for 38 months.


After the crash the pregnant woman needed to undergo an emergency Caesarean area, leaving her early child in extensive take care of a variety of weeks, when she suffered 2 collapsed lungs.


The infant later on made a healing and had the ability to go home.


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


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


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


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


was arrested at the scene. Analysis of his phone data following the crash revealed he had actually been utilizing his phone while driving, going to online gambling sites, the force said.


'Missed early moments'


In a victim impact declaration, the mom said: "I needed an emergency situation Caesarean due to my infant being in distress. I found this extremely terrible and didn't desire my baby 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 expect to be in a bubble with your partner and newborn however we were separated across three wards in the hospital and lost out on so much in those early minutes.


"No mom or dad must need 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 terrible display of driving by Bentley, who invested most of his journey sidetracked by being on his phone.


"I know that the physical, psychological and emotional trauma from this incident continues to affect on this family, who were simply heading out their day when this wholly avoidable accident occurred."


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