Man Crashed His Car Into Several Others While Gambling on the Phone

A man from the UK, Jack Bentley, who was gambling on his phone while driving, collided with another vehicle, has been sentenced to prison. Police reported that the crash fractured the pelvis of a pregnant woman and forced doctors to perform an early delivery of her baby.

Gambling Driver Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison 

On April 6 last year, 30-year-old Jack Bentley crashed his car into the rear of a stationary Nissan X-Trail, not realizing it had stopped in traffic, police said. The collision pushed the Nissan into another vehicle, injuring several people. The driver sustained whiplash, two children were hurt, and the family dog was seriously injured, needing emergency surgery.

Doctors performed an emergency caesarean section on the pregnant woman, and the baby was taken to intensive care. In the first weeks of life, the newborn’s lungs collapsed, necessitating urgent treatment. Fortunately, the child made a good recovery and was able to return home later.

Police said Bentley, driving in the right-hand lane, failed to notice the stationary traffic ahead and collided without slowing down. Earlier, he had been observed swerving between lanes and mounting the grass verge on the eastbound highway between junctions 6 and 5.

Bentley was arrested at the scene, and analysis of his phone data revealed that he had been using it to access online gambling sites while driving, the police added. He pleaded guilty to two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced to 28 months in prison at Derby Crown Court, along with a 38-month driving ban.

Injured Mother Talks About the Incident

Following the events, the mother described the experience as deeply traumatic, explaining that she required an emergency caesarean because her baby was in distress and did not want her child to be born so early. She said the baby was delivered without any skin-to-skin contact, and she and her partner had to wait before seeing it.

She added that, instead of being together in the expected “bubble” with their newborn, they were separated across three hospital wards, missing out on crucial early moments. She concluded that no parent should have to endure such an experience.

PC Richard Morris of Derbyshire Police described Bentley’s driving as “appalling,” noting that he was distracted on his phone for most of the journey. He added that the physical, mental, and emotional trauma from the incident continues to affect the family, who were simply going about their day when the entirely avoidable crash occurred.