Young Driver locked up for crashing into pregnant mum on Formby bypass

A young driver who smashed into a car driven by a pregnant mum on the Formby bypass has been locked up. Matthew Carolan overtook another vehicle to make a right turn on to North End Lane – but crashed straight into a car travelling at 55mph in the opposite direction towards Southport .

Liverpool Crown Court heard the driver of the other car, Lesley Flannery, was 28 weeks pregnant at the time of the crash on Saturday, July 8 last year. She spent nearly two weeks in hospital and was left with broken ribs, a broken kneecap and other health problems.

She also suffered damage to muscles in her arm and in a victim personal statement said it had left her unable to breast feed her new baby – who was born healthy at full term.

Carolan, 20, who is from Hightown, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.

Arthur Gibson, defending, said he was a “very stupid young man”, who had carried out an “inherently dangerous manoeuvre”.

He said Carolan, who was left with two leg fractures after the crash, had expressed remorse from the start. Mr Gibson said: “He does not seek to downplay the seriousness of what he did.

“The incident has brought home to this young man the dangers of driving a motor vehicle.

“It was a serious case of bad driving. There were serious injuries caused, but in the main it does appear that there has been recovery and fortunately this lady gave birth normally to a healthy child. “He made a catastrophic error of judgement.”

Original story:

11:13pm - UPDATE: The Formby bypass has now opened on one lane northbound and traffic is being diverted down New Causeway. The area is heavily congested so please avoid.

10:35pm - ORIGINAL:

Formby by pass closed north bound at the red squirrel following serious RTC.

The accident is at the Hightown exit. You cannot get through to Formby at all. The only way is via Maghull through past Tesco.