Teen driver who crashed into campsite leaving three badly hurt is spared jail

A speeding, novice driver who crashed his car into a campsite ploughing through tents injuring several holidaymakers has walked free from court.

Jack Hale, 19, was driving a blue Ford Fiesta when he lost control on a bend and crashed into the Newgale campsite in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, in August 2023.

He flipped and somersaulted into several tents – some containing young children – and three campers were seriously injured.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Hale, who was then 17, had only passed his test three weeks previously.

Speed limit

He lost control when the speed limit suddenly dropped from 60mph to 30mph outside the campsite, which is adjacent to the A487 main road at Newgale.

Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, said there were five passengers in the car – including one sat on the lap of the front-seat passenger.

Holidaymakers Emma Lewis, Daniel Staniforth and Paul Warburton were sat outside their tents socialising when the collision occurred shortly before 11pm.

“They heard a loud screech and turned to see the Ford Fiesta drifting sideways towards the campsite,” Miss Donohue said.

“The car travelled towards the campsite and hit the lip of the curb and flipped onto the side.

“As this happened it landed on a tent. The car travelled over multiple tents, one of which contained a two-year-old child.

“The vehicle then ultimately carried on and collided with the three complainants and landed on a tent which contained a young baby.

“Emma Lewis, Daniel Staniforth and Paul Warburton were all pinned under the car and unable to move.

“The complainants were pinned under the car for a number of minutes, until a number of bystanders were able to turn the car on its side and eventually free them.”

Injuries

They suffered a range of injuries, including a dislocated hip, rib and pelvis fractures, and third degree burns, and were left requiring surgery.

The fourth injured person was one of Hale’s passengers, Oliver Copeland, who suffered fractures to the vertebrae in his neck. In total nine people were hurt.

Miss Donohue said: “CCTV of the incident appeared to show that the vehicle was travelling at excess speed downhill before negotiating the off-side bend.

“As it negotiated the bend, the defendant lost control of his vehicle and it was catapulted into the adjacent campsite, rolling several times before coming to a stop.”

She said collision investigators had concluded Hale was driving at 66mph before slowing down to 55mph as he lost control entering the 30mph zone. There were no faults found with the car.

Hale told police the Fiesta hit a rock – which are often thrown up onto the road by the tide – causing the car to slide.

Dangerous driving

At a previous hearing Hale, of Cuffern View, Simpson Cross, Haverfordwest, had pleaded guilty to four counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Dyfed Llion Thomas, defending, said Hale had written to the victims to apologise for his actions.

“The remorse here is genuine,” he said.

“The fact of the matter is, he is still a young man.

“Unfortunately, a young person who has just passed his test three weeks before this incident gets involved in driving in a manner in which he should not have driven.

“He has wholeheartedly accepted what he did was wrong, and wholeheartedly accepted that others have suffered because of that.

“He has not driven since this incident. But, the fact of the matter is, I doubt he will ever get in a car for the rest of his life without remembering what happened.”

Judge Huw Rees imposed a sentence of 20 months’ youth detention, suspended for 18 months, and told him to complete 15 rehabilitation days and 250 hours of unpaid work.

He also banned Hale from driving for two years and ordered him to take an extended driving test.

“This is undoubtedly a serious offense, as you well know, and I’m entirely convinced that aspect is not lost on you at all,” the judge said.

Reckless

He described Hale having five passengers in his car as “inappropriate and even reckless in itself”.

“You were a new driver, a novice driver, having only obtained a full driving licence some three weeks before this offence,” he said.

“You drove so fast in the circumstances that you lost control of your vehicle, causing it to hit the curb, turn on its side landing on a tent and travelling over many other tents.

“One of the tents contained a two-year-old and another a baby. Miraculously, and thankfully, neither child was harmed but that’s not thanks to your driving. That was pure good fortune.

“The reality is that you could have killed people.”

Sergeant Sara John, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “This was a deeply traumatic incident for all the victims involved and continues to have a profound impact on them.

“Hopefully today’s sentence provides an element of closure to those affected and serves as a reminder of the consequences of dangerous driving.”