Woman sentenced to four years four months in prison after collision that left a Wiltshire man with life-changing injuries

A woman has been sentenced to four years four months in prison, after colliding with a Wiltshire teenager, as he was driving home to Malmesbury in Wiltshire. The collision left the man fighting for his life.

Chloe Thynne, from Kemble in Gloucestershire, who pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in June, was handed the sentence at Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday 5 September.

On the evening of 15 October 2021, William Pike, who was 18 at the time, was driving home from Cirencester along the A429 with two friends when they were hit by Mrs Thynne, who was travelling in the opposite direction.

It transpired that Mrs Thynne, who had previous convictions for driving offences, whose driving was impaired by alcohol and was driving without car insurance at the time, had crossed the central white line over to Mr Pike’s side of the road before colliding with his car.

Despite seeing the damage caused to Mr Pike’s vehicle, she fled the scene of the incident without calling emergency services or alerting anyone and left him and his friends in the car with serious and life-threatening injuries. Mrs Thynne was later located at her home address in Kemble.

It took over an hour for Mr Pike to be extricated from his vehicle before being taken to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

He was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), where he remained in a critical condition for the first 10 days and underwent several lengthy and complex operations. He suffered a brain injury and complex orthopaedic injuries due to the collision.

Thompsons Solicitors is supporting Mr Pike and his family with an ongoing civil claim in relation to the collision.

According to Mr Pike’s family, the collision has had a devastating impact on Mr Pike and his family, and they are still living with the horrific consequences almost two years later.

Reacting to the sentencing, Mr Pike’s mother, Rebecca Pike, said: “We’re glad that justice has been served and that Chloe Thynne can no longer pose a threat to other drivers on the road.

"We hope this sentence will act as a deterrent and an important reminder that dangerous driving has life-changing consequences not only for the victims and their families but also for the perpetrators themselves.

“The impact this collision has had on our family has been utterly devastating, but we hope this can provide some closure, so that Will can begin to move on positively with his life.

“Finally, we’d like to thank all of the incredible people that were around Will that night, during what was an unbelievably traumatic experience, not only for Will but also for them.

“We’d also like to pay tribute to James Tooley and his HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) team and the other remarkable NHS staff at Southmead Hospital, without whom, Will wouldn’t be here today. They were amazing that night and have continued to give him wonderful care and support during his recovery.”

Mr Pike’s lawyer at the national law firm Thompsons Solicitors, Lisa Gunner, said: “We consider that the sentence reflects the severity and consequences of the defendant’s actions.

“No one should have to experience the unimaginable pain and suffering William has had to experience because of one person’s reckless driving.

“The incident has had profound consequences not only for William himself but also for his family, who have had to experience the trauma of seeing a loved one suffer both physical and psychological injuries.

“We hope this gives William and his family some closure.”