A woman who caused a major crash on the A429 at fled has been handed a prison sentence.
Chloe Thynne, 38, ploughed her Audi Q5 head-on into a car on the opposite carriageway north of Malmesbury at around 9pm on 15 October 2021.
Emergency services, including Wiltshire Air Ambulance, attended the scene – with three young men in a Nissan Mirca sustaining multiple “extensive” injuries.
After an hour-long effort to extricate the driver from the wreckage, then 18-year-old William Pike was rushed to intensive care at Southmead Hospital in Bristol – where he remained in a critical condition for ten days and underwent several complex operations.
At a previous hearing, crown prosecutor Keith Ballinger said the victim suffered a bleed on the brain, a broken collar bone, an open arm fracture, collapsed lungs, a shattered femur and a broken ankle – amongst many other injuries.
He also told of how two passengers sustained significant injuries between them, including a lacerated liver, a broken sternum, collapsed lungs, a broken arm and a head injury.
Thynne, who had left The Potting Shed pub in Crudwell, was impaired by alcohol and was driving without car insurance. Despite seeing the damage caused to Mr Pike’s vehicle, she fled the scene without calling emergency services or alerting anyone. Police later located her at her home in Top Farm, Kemble.
She pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the scene of an accident and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Swindon Crown Court in June – and appeared for sentencing today (Tuesday).
Judge Jason Taylor sentenced the defendant – who has previous convictions for road-related offences including drink driving – to four years and four months imprisonment.
A six-year driving ban was also imposed on Thynne, which will begin on her release from prison.
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Reacting to the sentencing, Mr Pike’s mother, Rebecca Pike, said: “We’re glad that justice has been served and that Chloe Thynne can no longer pose a threat to other drivers on the road.
“We hope this sentence will act as a deterrent and an important reminder that dangerous driving has life-changing consequences not only for the victims and their families but also for the perpetrators themselves.
“The impact this collision has had on our family has been utterly devastating, but we hope this can provide some closure, so that Will can begin to move on positively with his life.
“Finally, we’d like to thank all of the incredible people that were around Will that night, during what was an unbelievably traumatic experience, not only for Will but also for them.
“We’d also like to pay tribute to James Tooley and his HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) team and the other remarkable NHS staff at Southmead Hospital, without whom, Will wouldn’t be here today. They were amazing that night and have continued to give him wonderful care and support during his recovery.”
Mr Pike’s lawyer at the national law firm Thompsons Solicitors, Lisa Gunner, said: “We consider that the sentence reflects the severity and consequences of the defendant’s actions.
“No one should have to experience the unimaginable pain and suffering William has had to experience because of one person’s reckless driving.
“The incident has had profound consequences not only for William himself but also for his family, who have had to experience the trauma of seeing a loved one suffer both physical and psychological injuries.
“We hope this gives William and his family some closure.”
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