THIS is the heart-stopping moment an idiot driver crashed into oncoming traffic after overtaking a lorry and skidding out of control.
Passenger Norman Chai, 66, crashed into two cars on the A30 in Devon.
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Norman Chai races past HGV Credit: Devon and Cornwall Police
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He then lost control and slid Credit: Devon and Cornwall Police
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Chai crashed into an oncoming MitsubishiCredit: Devon and Cornwall Police
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Nine people injured in horrific crash Credit: Devon and Cornwall Police
He lost control after speeding past a lorry on a wet road – veering across the lane into traffic.
The video shows Chai’s car crashing head-on into the Mitsubishi and Kia.
Nine people were injured in the horrific crash and five, including Chai, were seriously injured.
Chai admitted four offenses of causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving at Exeter crown court.
He said he panicked after realizing he was not in the fast lane and was about to collide with oncoming cars.
But Chai was spared jail time and was given a suspended sentence along with a curfew.
He previously had a clean driving record, but has now been banned from driving for three years.
Chai was on his way from his home in Surrey to Cornwall and had been behind the wheel for more than two hours.
He tried to overtake the lorry at Rawbridge near the Somerset border – battling wet road conditions.
Chai slid back into the correct lane after overtaking the truck, before losing control while swerving to avoid the traffic island.
The heavy vehicle was traveling at 80 km/h when Chai sped by, prosecutor Beth Rickerby said.
His car then veered into the oncoming lane, where it collided with the Mitsubishi.
Chai had his wife and mother-in-law in the back, and there were two adults and two children in the Mitsubishi.
A Kia with two adult passengers crashed into a wreckage in a three-car collision.
The driver of the Mitsubishi was a grandmother of three who suffered spinal and ankle fractures.
The passenger in the Kia also suffered multiple ankle fractures.
Both victims said the accident caused ongoing physical pain and psychological damage.
Chai’s wife suffered three pelvic fractures and spinal fractures.
His mother-in-law needed surgery to repair lung damage and broken ribs.
Chai himself was airlifted by doctors and placed in a 24-hour coma before surgery on his pelvis and ribs.
‘THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT’
Lisa Denley, defending, said Chai rested before getting behind the wheel.
She told the court: “Then he made a serious mistake and he hates himself for it.
“It was only when he got out that he became aware that it was not another lane.
“He felt betrayed at that stage and decided in the heat of the moment that he had to complete the maneuver as soon as possible.
“He was panicked and incredibly stressed thinking he was going to be involved in an accident.
“He thought he would hurt his wife and mother-in-law.
“It was a momentary lapse in concentration. A very serious mistake.”
‘TRULY SORRY’
References from friends praise Chai’s good character and sense of moral responsibility.
Chai said he thinks about what he did every day and thought he was going to jail.
Recorder Bromiga said a responsible driver would never have driven so fast in wet conditions.
He said it was clearly dangerous for Chai to try to overtake.
But he accepted that Chai did not recognize that turning right was not an overtaking lane and that he was genuinely sorry.
Chai, from Woking, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years.
He was banned from a three-month home curfew, fined £2,000, banned from driving for three years and ordered to pay £650 costs.
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Source: HIS Education