Dangerous manouvre; DRIVER CAUSED FOUR-CAR SMASH.

Byline: ROB KENNEDY

A RECKLESS overtaking manoeuvre left four people seriously injured in a horrific car crash.

When Niall Molloy put his foot down to overtake a car, he left the drivers of three other vehicles and himself with devastating injuries.

As his BMW passed a Vauxhall Corsa he didn't realise another car was coming in the opposite direction.

In panic he tried to veer back to the left hand side of the road but clipped the Corsa before smashing head on into a Citroen Saxo.

A Honda car coming up from behind then tried to take evasive action away from the pile-up and careered into a tree.

Molloy, an engineer, suffered serious injuries including a punctured lung, ruptured liver, five broken ribs, a broken sternum and two dislocated arms and was in intensive care for three days.

The driver of the Citroen lost full vision in one eye and the Honda driver sustained a broken back, punctured lungs and broken ribs.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Recorder Jeremy Barnett said: "This was an awful piece of driving.

"It caused a desperately serious accident which involved three other vehicles and the injuries sustained were very serious indeed.

"You are very close indeed to facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving."

Molloy, 21, of Centurion Way, Bedlington, Northumberland had been driving on the A197 between Ashington and Pegswood around 10.20pm on October 30 last year.

He came up behind the Corsa in his BMW 325 and tried to get past, not realising that there was not enough room.

The driver of the Corsa said he was 'amazed' when he saw Molloy trying to overtake him, given the proximity of the oncoming Citroen.

Within seconds Molloy had swiped the Corsa, smashed into the Citroen and caused the Honda to swerve into the tree.

Molloy admitted dangerous driving and was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years. He was also put on a community order for two years, ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and fined pounds 2,500 plus pounds 966 costs and banned for driving for three years.

David Comb, defending said: "Nothing I can say can undo the injuries and suffering that has been experienced by those blameless parties involved in this car crash.

"The most important thing he wished me to express is the remorse and regret he feels for his actions.

"His decision to do this overtaking manoeuvre was a serious misjudgment but was nevertheless a momentary lapse and not part of an extended cause of dangerous driving."