A drug driver left two men with life-changing injuries after crashing into an oncoming car.
Matthew Pullman, from Halewood, had no driving licence or insurance, and was above the drink driving limit when he crashed head-on with a grey Vauxhall Zafira on Bradford Road in Winsford. Pullman appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, August 25, having previously pleaded guilty to a number of offences including to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The court heard how Pullman was driving a black Ford Galaxy when he crashed into a grey Vauxhall Zafira which was going in the opposite direction at around 7am on Tuesday, November 2. The 31-year-old of Jubilee Close, Halewood, had two passengers in the car, a 21-year-old man and a 35-year-old man from Winsford, at the time of the incident.
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The driver of the Vauxhall Zafira, a 64-year-old man from Hartford, was rushed to the Royal Stoke Hospital where it was found that he had sustained a catalogue of injuries. These included sternal injuries, multiple rib fractures, bruising to his lungs, a laceration to his liver, an injury to his spleen, a fractured right femur and a fractured arm. All of which resulted in multiple operations.
A 35-year-old passenger from Pullman’s car also sustained a number of serious injuries, including a fractured spine, rib fractures and a pelvic fracture. Both men spent several weeks in hospital, but thankfully have since recovered.
Police found that Pullman was above the drink drive limit at the time of the crash, with 104mg of alcohol in his blood per 100ml (the legal limit is 80mg/100ml). He also had benzolecgonine (Cocaine) in his system.
Pullman's car was found not fit to be on the road following an examination, with both front tyres bare and the car would not have passed its MOT. Collision investigators also confirmed that Pullman was speeding and on the wrong side of the road when the crash occurred.
He was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday after pleaded guilty to the following offences at an earlier hearing:
- Use a passenger vehicle with insufficient tread – less than 1.6mm.
- 2 x serious injury by dangerous driving.
- Use a motor vehicle on a road without third party insurance. Use a passenger vehicle with insufficient tread – less than 1.6mm.
- Drive a vehicle whilst unfit through a drug.
- Drive a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
- Drive a motor vehicle when alcohol above limit.
Following the sentencing Inspector Steve Griffiths, head of the Serious and Complex Collision Investigation Unit at Cheshire Police, said: “Pullman had never held a driving licence, nor had he even applied for a provisional driving licence.
“Despite this, on the morning of Tuesday 2 November got behind the wheel of a car and drove to Winsford with his two friends.
“As a result of his actions that day, two men were left with life-changing injuries and Pullman is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions.”
Pullman was also banned from driving for seven years.
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