Man jailed after Hadleigh crash left motorcyclist in a wheelchair for life
Daniel Westbrook appeared at Ipswich Crown Court where he was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.
A 59-year-old man has been jailed for over two years after a motorcyclist sustained life-changing injuries which have left him unable to walk, following a collision in Hadleigh almost 18 months ago.
Daniel Westbrook appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday 6 February, where he was sentenced to two years and eight months’ imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for six years and four months and will be required to take an extended retest.
Westbrook, formerly of Monks Eleigh, had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The incident occurred at just before 5.10pm on Wednesday 24 August 2022 in Pond Hall Road, when a red Volkswagen Caddy van being driven by Westbrook was involved in a head-on collision with a black Suzuki motorcycle.
Westbrook was travelling west towards Hadleigh town centre – he later disclosed he had deviated from his usual route home along the A1071 as a result of a collision on that road.
Witnesses described traffic queuing in this direction due to two cyclists ahead, with a queue of approximately five to six vehicles behind. The road is winding and does not provide many opportunities for overtaking. Westbrook then took the decision to pull out and overtake three to four cars and the two cyclists while approaching a right-hand bend.
The rider of the motorcycle – a man who was aged 41 at the time of the collision – was travelling in the opposite direction towards Hintlesham. He was left with nowhere to go when faced with Westbrook’s van coming towards him on his side of the road. On impact, he was catapulted into the air and landed on his back.
He immediately lost the feeling in his legs and was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital by air ambulance. He spent several weeks in the critical care and high dependency units there, and remained in various hospitals and rehabilitation centres for the next 10 months.
He suffered a number of injuries, including fractures to his vertebrae, fractured ribs and collapsed lungs. His spinal cord injury is so severe that he will not regain any function in his legs and will be a wheelchair user for life.
Westbrook was arrested at the scene, having already made comments to other members of the public that he wanted to get home faster and that he drives too fast and is reckless.
Detective Constable Kelly Dale, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Daniel Westbrook’s completely selfish and dangerous actions on that day have had a devastating impact on the victim and his loved ones.
“He has changed forever the life of an active man who enjoyed participating in numerous activities and travelled extensively. He had only become engaged to his fiancée one month beforehand and in his own words ‘everything was ruined in a split second’ as a result of Westbrook’s mindless decision.
The impact is not just a physical one, but has also had a psychological affect and financial ramifications with the loss of his job.
“I hope the sentence handed to Daniel Westbrook will allow him the time to reflect on his reckless actions, though it is nothing compared to the life-limiting sentence he has inflicted on the victim.
“To make such a dangerous driving manoeuvre on a winding country road is incomprehensible and all just because he wanted to get home a few minutes quicker.
I hope this case demonstrates to other road users that taking risks such as this can have serious implications, destroy the lives of others and result in you going to prison.”