A NEWLY-QUALIFIED driver narrowly avoided going to jail despite leaving a Minehead family with life-changing injuries when he crashed into their car on the ‘notorious’ A39 Bridgwater Road.


Declan Green, 24, lost control of his car on a bend near Nether Stowey following heavy rain on August 22 last year and the rear of his car slid around and hit Adrian Basketfield’s car as he drove home with his wife, daughter and her boyfriend, Taunton Crown Court was told.


Prosecuting, Caroline Bolt said Mr Basketfield braked but could not avoid a collision and only had time to say ‘My God’ before there was a severe impact.
She told the the court he forced his door open and saw his wife, Michelle’s, left arm was ‘clearly broken’ and she had blood on her legs. 


Mrs Basketfield was cut free by emergency services and taken to hospital with injuries which included a fractured forearm, broken collarbone, lacerations and bruising and treatment included a bone being grafted from her hip, which resulted in a limp. 


She is now in a plaster cast following further operation and is in a lot of pain.
In a victim statement read out to the court, she said she had been fit and healthy before the crash and ran a holiday let service, but she can no longer play the piano or go to the gym and still is unable to comprehend the damage caused to her life.

She added her self-esteem had been severely affected.
Mr Basketfield suffered fractured ribs and his statement said he had been told he may never be free of pain ‘and will have to live with it’. He said he was now sensitive to other cars on the road and was really shocked by the accident. 


His daughter Francesca Basketfield, a personal trainer, said she suffered soft tissue damage from whiplash and is still suffering from her injuries.


Joseph Wright, defending, said Green had apologised and pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He had said: “I got it massively wrong – nothing I say can reduce the damage that’s been done”.


He overtook several vehicles minutes before the accident and rounded the corner too fast and lost control. 
“He was not trying to be flash and take the corner in dramatic fashion or contravene the broken white line in the middle of the road.
“He got it dramatically wrong and lost control. His family are very angry with him for what he’s done,” he added.


Judge James Patrick said the Minehead to Bridgwater road was notorious – a slow road with few places to overtake.


The court heard the road was wet after heavy rain and he lost control and collided with an oncoming vehicle while travelling too fast for the conditions.


Judge Patrick said: “You injured four people, one of them particularly seriously. You travelled at inappropriate speed for the weather conditions.”


Giving full credit for an early guilty plea, he sentenced Green to 12 months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work. 

He was also banned from driving for two years.
The judge said Green, who grew up in Minehead but is now based in Monks Park Avenue, Bristol, was hard-working.

 
He added: “I have had an opportunity to observe you and I hope what I see is genuine. 
“If I discover you have been putting on a front you should expect to be brought to this court and sent immediately to prison.”