A WOMAN thought her husband was dead after an HGV driver caused a serious crash on the A40 by making an unlawful U-turn.

Shane Lewis was driving a milk tanker for Gregory Distribution on February 5, and pulled in to refuel at the Tenby Road petrol station on the eastbound A40 between St Clears and Carmarthen.

Shortly after the petrol station was a gap in the central reservation, where drivers could join or leave the westbound carriageway by crossing the eastbound carriageway.

There were “a number of no U-turn signs” Lewis had passed, prosecutor Ashanti-Jade Walton said.

However, Lewis decided he would do a U-turn here, instead of driving under three miles along the A40 where there was a junction to safely change to the opposite direction.

Ms Walton said Sarah and Aled Jones were driving home after a meal out with friends, and, upon seeing the tanker leaving the petrol station moved to the right-hand lane to overtake.

At 10.10pm the tanker turned “without warning”. Mrs Jones attempted to avoid the tanker by keeping to the right of the lane, and then aiming for the gap in the central reservation, but to no avail. When she saw the collision was inevitable, she aimed for the tanker’s tyre..

“She looked at her husband Aled and he was unconscious. She believed he had died,” said Ms Walton.

Mr Jones did regain consciousness, and Mrs Jones – although stuck – managed to reach her phone and called 999, before also calling their daughters to tell them they had been in a crash.

Ms Walton said Mrs Jones “thought she was saying goodbye” to her daughters as “she couldn’t see herself getting out”.

Mr Jones was helped out of the car, while Mrs Jones had to be cut out by the emergency services. They were both taken to hospital.

Mr Jones needed emergency surgery after suffering a fractured vertebrae, several broken ribs, a broken arm, broken fingers, three bowel perforations and another to his lower intestine, and required his appendix to be removed.

Mrs Jones suffered bruising to her left flank and hip, and it was likely her shoulder had dislocated and popper back in – although this caused her to need surgery.

Mrs Jones said her and her husband’s lives were “unrecognisable” following the crash, with him being forced to retire early due to his injuries and her being unable to work as a self-employed hairdresser due to her shoulder, which may require further surgery.

“I do not think I will ever fully recover – mentally or physically,” Mr Jones said, via a statement read out in court.

The court heard Lewis was under no time pressure to complete his journey, and a safe and legal turning on to the westbound carriageway was 2.7 miles away. It had also been raining that day, it was dark and driving conditions were poor.

Ieuan Rees, in mitigation, said Lewis was “highly thought of” and had no previous convictions or driving penalties.

“He is a young man who is troubled by the devastation he caused,” he said. “One stupid mistake. He has to live with that for the rest of his life.

“In every other respect he’s an exemplary young man, and has made one serious error which he cannot undo. He wishes he could.”

Mr Rees said Lewis got out of the vehicle and apologised after the crash – adding that he didn’t see them – and helped raise the alarm.

Lewis, 28, Glenview Avenue, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to two offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Judge Christopher Vosper sentenced Lewis to two years, suspended for two years, running concurrently for each offence.

He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, was banned from driving for two years, and must take an extended retest in order to regain his licence.

“Mr and Mrs Jones will probably think this is an unduly lenient sentence,” Judge Vosper said.

“I can understand their view,” he added, before saying it was made as a result of Lewis’ lack of previous convictions, contrition, and low-level of risk to the public.

“I hope they can understand,” he said.