Men Instruct Serious Injury Lawyers To Support Them With Recoveries

Five friends seriously injured in a crash close to their home in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire have spoken out after the driver of the other vehicle was sentenced.

Brothers Dorian and Gareth William, and friends Jon Lewis, Arwel Thomas and Rhys McLoughlin were travelling together on the A40, back from a darts match, in September 2021.

The Skoda car they were travelling in was hit head-on by a Chrysler car, with an estimated combined speed of around 100mph.

They all sustained serious injuries, with Dorian and Jon airlifted from the scene by the coastguard to a hospital in Liverpool for life-saving treatment.

Following the incident, the friends instructed serious injury experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate what happened and help them access the specialist therapies they require as part of their recovery.

Last month, the driver of the other car, Elijah Rowland, 18, from Haverfordwest, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court to 18 months in prison.  This comes after he pleaded guilty in September to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The friends have now joined with their legal team in sharing their story as part of Road Safety Week.

Expert Opinion

“My clients were all innocent road users returning home after enjoying a good night at a darts match after a long period of lockdown.

Their evening ended in disaster, however, through no fault of their own. Their case is a stark reminder of the consequences people can be left to face as a result of the actions of others.

The crash caused my clients immeasurable pain and suffering. All of them are hard-working family men who have had their livelihoods affected, and although they hope to make an eventual recovery from their physical injuries, the psychological effects are likely to last much longer.

My clients are relieved that justice has been done and they can now begin to move forward and focus on their recoveries. Road Safety Week is an opportunity for them to share what happened to them and urge others to take care on the roads at all times.” Matthew Brown, Partner and Serious Injury Lawyer

The crash took place during the evening of 24 September 2021.

Rhys, 29, and Arwel, 40, were in the rear of the vehicle and managed to climb out.  They also pulled Dorian, 50, and Jon, 57, who was unconscious, from the car.

Shortly afterwards, the vehicle caught fire and Gareth, 52, who was trapped, was also pulled free by his friends.

One year on, the friends are continuing with their recoveries.

Dorian said: “We’d all been enjoying a night out together, but the journey home turned into a total nightmare and the past year has been incredibly difficult for us and our families, as we attempt to rebuild our lives following the crash.

“The other driver was maintaining a not-guilty plea up until September this year, so we thought we were probably going to have to face the ordeal of a trial.  Having to cope with the anguish of this, as well as the injuries we suffered, has been awful.

“However, we’re grateful he did the right thing in the end and we can focus on getting our lives back on track.

“Having each other for support is a huge relief for us all, to know we aren’t going through it alone, and we want to make others aware of how important it is to stay safe on the roads.  We wouldn’t want others going through what we have.”

Road Safety Week, organised by the charity Brake, runs from 14-20 November. This year’s theme is Safer Road for All. Find out more 

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