A man has been jailed after causing a serious collision on the A303 near Bulford that left a French motorcyclist with life-changing injuries.
Muhammad Umair, 30, of Sandhurst, appeared at Salisbury Crown Court on 26 June after previously pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing on 25 May.
The court sentenced Umair to two years’ imprisonment and disqualified him from driving for five years. The judge also ordered that he be deported upon his release from prison.
The collision happened on 23 May when Umair was driving a Toyota Yaris eastbound on the A303. While travelling in lane one, he moved into lane two directly into the path of an oncoming BMW 1250cc motorcycle.
The rider, a French tourist in his 60s, was unable to avoid the collision and suffered life-changing injuries.
Police said Umair was arrested and quickly charged after dashcam footage captured the incident in full. The footage showed the motorcyclist riding appropriately in a line of traffic before Umair pulled into his path, leaving the rider with no opportunity to brake or avoid the crash.
Following the sentencing, lead investigator Paul Brewster, from the Serious Collision Investigation Team (SCIT), said: “All our thoughts continue to be with the injured motorcyclist and his family, whose lives were changed in a split second by Umair’s actions.
“I also want to thank the members of the public who stopped to provide lifesaving first aid to the motorcyclist, particularly three people who remained at the scene for an extended period to allow officers to download dashcam footage from their vehicles.
“It was their support that meant Umair pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and enabled us to secure this conviction.
“This awful case highlights the seriousness of careless and dangerous driving and why they are among the Fatal Five offences.
“Umair changed lanes despite seeing the motorcyclist and took a huge risk that fell far below the standard expected of a careful and competent driver, resulting in an innocent tourist suffering life-changing injuries and permanent disability.
“We will continue to carry out operations targeting the Fatal Five offences to help keep our roads as safe as possible.”
The Fatal Five offences include careless driving, drink and drug driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, using a mobile phone while driving and speeding.
Wiltshire Police continue to urge all motorists to drive responsibly, warning that committing one of the Fatal Five offences significantly increases the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal collision.