A careless driver caused a serious head-on collision that left himself and another motorist seriously injured.
Joshua Keen was driving in a white Peugeot Partner van on the A267 near Mayfield.
He drove on to the wrong side of the road and collided with a Hyundai.
His dashcam footage showed him driving erratically in the moments before the crash.
The collision caused both him and a 43-year-old local woman to sustain life-changing injuries.
Keen, 24, a factory worker of Queens Road, Maidstone, was not able to explain how he had ended up causing the head-on collision.
At Lewes Crown Court on April 18 he admitted causing serious injuries by careless driving. He was sentenced to a four-month suspended prison sentence, and has been banned from driving for one year.
The case highlights the dangers of careless driving, which is one of the main causes in people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Throughout April, Sussex Police officers have been carrying out increased patrols to raise awareness of the “fatal five” factors which cause serious or fatal collisions.
These also include; drink and drug-driving, driving at excess speed, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving while distracted such as by using a mobile phone.
The court was told how the incident happened on January 16 last year at Mark Cross near Mayfield and the Kent border.
Officers and emergency services responded to the collision, and the A267 was closed for several hours.
The collision has had a life-changing impact on the victim who spent several weeks recovering at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and continues to receive rehabilitation.
She said: “Keen’s manner of driving has caused me life-changing injuries which has impacted not only me but my family as well.
“It is clear that any motorist driving on the road needs to pay attention all of the time as the consequences can be devastating.”
As part of the investigation, dashcam footage was recovered from Mr Keen’s vehicle.
In the minutes leading up to the collision, his vehicle can be seen weaving within his own carriageway and on several occasions almost mounting the grass verge and going over the centre white lines separating the north and southbound traffic.
Speaking after the case PC Richard Brand from the Roads Policing Unit said: “Driving any vehicle on the road is a privilege that comes with the responsibility for all motorists to drive with proper care and attention.
“Any lapse in concentration, whether that is through tiredness or being distracted can have profound consequences.”
