A teenager has been jailed for three years after a man was seriously hurt in a collision.

Martin Ward, 18, of Oldbury, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 4 May). He had previously pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, going equipped for theft of motor vehicle, aggravated vehicle taking and disqualified driving.

He was also banned from driving for four-and-a-half-years.

We were called at around 4.15pm on 4 February 2023 following reports of a black Ford Fiesta being driven erratically on the M6.

The vehicle failed to stop for officers and was then involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Astra, which was travelling towards Penkridge on the A449, near to Dunston Business Park.

The driver of the Vauxhall, a man in his 60s, was taken to hospital by ambulance. His injuries were life changing, including a broken neck, broken back, broken sternum & ribs, liver damage, lung contusions, a dislocated finger and broken teeth.

Police informed the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) about the collision who referred the matter back to us for local investigation.

In his victim personal statement read to the court he said “No punishment will truly reflect the pain and suffering I have gone through.”

PC Matt Brailsford, of the Staffordshire and West Midlands Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The injuries the victim sustained as a result of Ward’s reckless driving will have long lasting effects for both him and his family.

“I welcome the court’s decision to ban Ward from driving for four and a half years.”