A military Land Rover was sent somersaulting through the air after the driver was forced into a desperate high-speed swerve to avoid a reckless motorist.
Crenguta Aruxandei, 44, caused a ‘horrific’ pile-up on the A43 at Hulcote when her grey Audi Q2 cut directly into the path of a military convoy on January 10 last year.
The sudden manoeuvre forced the driver of a green Land Rover Defender to swerve violently to avoid a collision.
Northamptonshire Police released dashcam video of the ‘completely avoidable’ incident, which saw the 4×4 and its trailer smash into the central reservation, launching it into a series of violent rolls.
The driver, 36, was rushed to hospital with a suspected fractured back after being thrown from the rolling Land Rover. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old passenger suffered a ‘significant’ head injury.
The vehicle was left completely wrecked after rolling multiple times across the tarmac – with the scene described as a scene of ‘total devastation’.
Aruxandei, of Northampton, was sentenced earlier this month at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by careless driving, police said.
Despite the gravity of the injuries caused to the two men, Aruxandei was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
The court also slapped the 44-year-old with a 12-month driving ban and ordered her to pass an extended re-test before she is ever allowed back behind the wheel. She was further ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge.
In a statement confirming details of the injuries caused in the crash, Northamptonshire Police said: ‘The 36-year-old driver was thrown from the Land Rover and sustained a suspected fractured back and was taken to the University Hospital Coventry.
‘His 31-year-old male passenger was taken to Northampton General Hospital with a significant head injury.’
Detective Constable Eleanor Hudson, of the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: ‘Holding a driving licence is a privilege and a responsibility and there is no place on our roads for drivers who put the lives of innocent members of the public at risk.
‘This was a completely avoidable collision on one of our major roads, which has left two other road users seriously injured and I am pleased that Crenguta Aruxandei will not be able to get back behind the wheel without passing an extended test to ensure she is safe to do so.
‘Reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads remains a priority for Northamptonshire Police and our partners at the Northamptonshire Safer Roads Alliance.
‘We will continue to take robust action to remove unsafe drivers from our roads.’
