Driver jailed over 100mph East Lancashire horror crash

8:50am Wednesday 17th February 2010 in Abbey Village Photograph of the Author By Sam Chadderton, Reporter

DANGER: Andrew Hebson was jailed for five offences at Preston Crown Court DANGER: Andrew Hebson was jailed for five offences at Preston Crown Court

A BANNED drink-driver who crashed head-on into a pregnant teacher’s car at 100mph has been jailed.

Andrew Hebson, 36, of St Mark’s Road, Blackburn, was overtaking traffic at twice the speed limit in his Peugeot 206.

But he smashed into four-month pregnant Nadine Mercière’s Renault Clio as she headed home from work in the opposite direction.

Her car was left a crumpled wreck but, amazingly, the 31-year-old Rishton teacher and her unborn child survived the horrific collision in Belmont Road, near Abbey Village.

Mrs Mercière suffered no more than bruises above and below her belly caused by the seatbelt.

After the case she hit out at Hebson's 20-month sentence and said he was 'lucky she was still alive'.

The crash happened on Friday, November 27, - Hebson's 36th birthday. When he was arrested, he had cannabis in his pocket which he said was a ‘birthday present’. He was also over the drink drive limit, and banned from driving.

At Preston Crown Court, Hebson was sentenced to a total of 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, driving while banned, criminal damage and cannabis possession. He was disqualified from driving for a further four years, with extended re-test requirements.

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Mrs Mercière was cut out of the crumpled wreckage and taken to hospital with the emergency services fearing the worst.

But she was released a couple of days later after both herself and her unborn child were given the all-clear.

The French teacher at Little Lever Specialist Language College, Bolton, said: “The first thing I thought about was whether the baby was still alive. What saved my life was the airbags and I’ve been incredibly lucky.

“I don’t remember the crash, just seeing the car coming towards me, overtaking other cars. I couldn’t avoid it and lost consciousness at the moment of impact.

“The sentence is shorter than we expected, but at least he’s going to jail. I think he’s lucky we are still alive.

“It would have been worse for him if he’d killed me and the baby.”

Her husband Fabian, who teaches at Pleckgate High School, Blackburn, was unhappy with the sentence: “To be completely honest, I don’t think it is long enough. We’ve been very lucky that Nadine and the baby were not harmed.

“He’s committed five offences, tried to run away from the police and nearly killed someone. It’s not enough, if I’d have been the judge he would have got five years.

“He’s paying for what he’s done and all I hope is that it won’t happen again because next time he could kill someone.

“He was electronically tagged, so it’s not the first time. The guy is 36, not a teenager who has had too much to drink at a birthday party."

Mr Mercière said the couple’s first baby was due on May 3, adding: “Nadine has been back to work and will probably do another month as long as she can cope. She’s tired, but that’s normal.

“What she does remember is everything after the crash, waiting in the cold on her own inside the car.

”She’s quite happy now and started driving again soon afterwards.

"Some people who leave it longer never get back in a car again.”

The couple moved to England in 2006 to pursue teaching careers. They were moving house on the day of the crash.

Comments(23)

ossy says...
8:58am Wed 17 Feb 10

He should have been banned from driving for life and given a much longer jail sentence, he put two lives at risk.

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Aspenfalls says...
11:06am Wed 17 Feb 10

You ain't going to stop this one unless you lock him up for life, a ban means nothing to these guys.

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happycyclist says...
11:43am Wed 17 Feb 10

Will someone remind me again why so many motorists hate cyclists...?

Fact is, many motorists condone this sort of driving. They'll flash each other to warn of an upcoming speed trap but never engage their brains and make the connection that the idiot you're protecting from a small fine by the police might be the same idiot who murders your wife or child because of their aggressive and dangerous driving.

But woebetide the cyclist who holds a motorist up for a second at a junction!

Self-centred cretins like this endanger the lives of all road users and should never be allowed to drive again.

Report this post »

Driver Awareness says...
11:59am Wed 17 Feb 10

People like this should never be allowed to drive a vehicle again. NEVER. And if they do, they should be regarded as potential murderers and locked up for life.

It's an appalling state of affairs for both the Government and the Courts to pussyfoot around and not make people like this criminal realise that it is a great priviledge to drive a vehicle on the roads in this country.

The very fact that no-one was killed by this individual matters not. He was reckless in the extreme.

All these so-called road safety organisations should look again at what they are really achieving with their speed camera policy. They are mainly catching grandmas and grandads who are, in the main, driving appropriately, albeit slightly above a posted and often inappropriate speed limit. The raising of money (£40 million was the last figure I heard of) is the only thing that the authorities are good at.

A 50mph speed limit on Belmont Road means nothing to criminals - and there are thousands out there who don't take any notice of the law.

This is a matter for the Police. Where are they?

Shame on the lot of them.

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Gaius Grossus says...
12:25pm Wed 17 Feb 10

It has struck me watching a lot of these police reality shows like Traffic Cops is that driving bans mean nothing to drivers like this. To me the only way isto use mobile speed camers better. Don't stay anywhere too long so everyone knows they are there. Train PCSOs to operate the camera's so the coppers can arrest these people immediatley

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past it says...
12:33pm Wed 17 Feb 10

The only thing that will stop the guy is when he kills himself in a car crash, just hope that no one else is involved. Why do the courts/law put innocent lives at risk by letting people like him have soft jail terms.

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wackyracer says...
12:45pm Wed 17 Feb 10

I've known this guy all my life. I've seen him stealing car stereo's, and heard about him robbing and dealing. He won't spot and 2o months won't make a difference. If there is any a time for the 3 strikes and your out, it's now. Sorry Ebby but you ain't no good.

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anyonetherenow says...
12:49pm Wed 17 Feb 10

Straws Law!

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Ian_G says...
12:53pm Wed 17 Feb 10

Wackyracer says it all. A lifelong no-good piece of filth who will stop at nothing.

Three strikes and you're out is the only way to go. One offence and mend your ways is fine, learn your lesson, pay the price and move on. Two offences, lengthy jail term. Three offences and they'll never learn, life.

Save the rest of the law abiding population the grief, pain, worry, abuse and whatever else this kind of selfish scum dish out in a daily basis.

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Billypieman says...
2:14pm Wed 17 Feb 10

happycyclist wrote:
Will someone remind me again why so many motorists hate cyclists...? Fact is, many motorists condone this sort of driving. They'll flash each other to warn of an upcoming speed trap but never engage their brains and make the connection that the idiot you're protecting from a small fine by the police might be the same idiot who murders your wife or child because of their aggressive and dangerous driving. But woebetide the cyclist who holds a motorist up for a second at a junction! Self-centred cretins like this endanger the lives of all road users and should never be allowed to drive again.
I've flashed people before to warn them of speed cameras. There is absolutely no comparison between this lunatic, who was drunk, banned and speeding excessively and a person straying over an unrealistic speed limit by a few miles an hour. Speed cameras are a money making scheme disguised as a safety measure. As for motorists hating cyclists, maybe you coming on here tarring decent people with the same brush as this nutter doesn't help.

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frank says...
2:26pm Wed 17 Feb 10

he should have been charged with attempted muder, driving at that speed., locked up and the key thrown away, the world can so without selfish morons like him.
time the judge was sacked.

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retired one says...
3:36pm Wed 17 Feb 10

anyonetherenow wrote:
Straws Law!
Exactly

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Baudelaire says...
4:35pm Wed 17 Feb 10

Unfortunately we live in a society where material goods are worth more than humans.
He'd have got a longer sentence for stealing a tin of beans from M&S.

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chrislancs says...
5:49pm Wed 17 Feb 10

I fully concur with the above comments, I am glad nadime and baby are o.k, that is the positive out of this case. the punishment has certaintly not fit the crime in this case. will the judge care to explain to us mere mortals where they came up with a sentence like this? If you want the law reviewed, then I think you will like the English Democrats thoughts on this. Putting the victim first.
Chris Reid PPC
English Democrats
Hyndburn/Haslingden

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rishtona says...
6:29pm Wed 17 Feb 10

I really hate morons like this; to me these people are scum who need to hurt themselves, not others.

When I was at school I knew a joy rider (I didn't know he was a joy rider until after the following incident); this selfish joyrider killed himself, but he also took out a family returning from the Blackpool illuminations, all apart from one innocent little girl who survived; alone. One person in the joy riders car also survived (minus an ear), and because she couldn't sit her GCSEs she was "awarded" straight A's. Selfish people like the moron above and the joy ridders from my school deserve nothing but contempt, not the tears they received on the journey to school from certain people! It is always the innocent who suffer, and like the comment above regarding reality "cop" shows I to can't help but laugh when I hear some drunken moron who is already banned, receives a four month sentance and a further ban - HOW THE HELL IS THAT MEANT TO STOP THEM!!!! They are already driving illeagally, with no tax or insurance, and don't five a f*** about the laws and safety of others.

We can't blame the Police or the courts for these sentances though, it is our useless paliament to blame, they set the laws and guidlines, the Police and Courts find their hands are tied. When will we wake up and treat the victims not the criminals with respect. Remember Tony Martin who had to put up with repeated break ins at his farm and finally flipped and unfortunately killed one of the burglars? And then he was sent to jail and suid by the injured one!!!!! I mean, has this country truly gone crazy or is it just me!??? Good on you Tony, I would do the same if my family were in danger and the things I worked hard for were about to be taken off me - GET JOBS YOU LAZY SCUMBAGS!

Hebson, I hope you read this, because I want to tell you that I hope you take yourself out, not others, hit a tree or lamp-post or a wall, but not other cars or cyclists or motorcyclists or pedestrians - you sir are amongst the worst scum on the planet. You and idiots who think they can make phone calls or text - if you drive a BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, you can afford a hands free kit (why is it always German car drivers???)!

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Tosh67 says...
6:29pm Wed 17 Feb 10

Driver Awareness wrote:
People like this should never be allowed to drive a vehicle again. NEVER. And if they do, they should be regarded as potential murderers and locked up for life. It's an appalling state of affairs for both the Government and the Courts to pussyfoot around and not make people like this criminal realise that it is a great priviledge to drive a vehicle on the roads in this country. The very fact that no-one was killed by this individual matters not. He was reckless in the extreme. All these so-called road safety organisations should look again at what they are really achieving with their speed camera policy. They are mainly catching grandmas and grandads who are, in the main, driving appropriately, albeit slightly above a posted and often inappropriate speed limit. The raising of money (£40 million was the last figure I heard of) is the only thing that the authorities are good at. A 50mph speed limit on Belmont Road means nothing to criminals - and there are thousands out there who don't take any notice of the law. This is a matter for the Police. Where are they? Shame on the lot of them.
a priviledge to drive in this country, cant agree with that one,end of the day our road/petrol/speeding and all other tax associated with driving makes it very expensive and not a priviledge.As for this tosser and the 20 months he got handed down, well i guess he is laughing his *ock off at us tax payers who incidentially are paying for his cushy life style inside allowing him to twitter about his cell been too cold.
Where is the tosser straw when justice is clearly not being done??

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catbabes says...
9:42pm Wed 17 Feb 10

wackyracer wrote:
I've known this guy all my life. I've seen him stealing car stereo's, and heard about him robbing and dealing. He won't spot and 2o months won't make a difference. If there is any a time for the 3 strikes and your out, it's now. Sorry Ebby but you ain't no good.
i know this person too,i have for many years although have not associated with him in years.i feel so embarrassed and ashamed of him but not surprised.thank god his victim and her baby came out alive.Birthday present? come on andie,who you trying to kid?

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CapitaBackHander says...
9:27am Thu 18 Feb 10

That is amazing, if he was travelling at 100mph and lets say the innocent lady was doing 30 - 50 that means they all survived a crash at 130-150mph which is highly unlikely.
Fair enough the guy deserves everything and more but I think the journalist has quoted speeds sometime prior to the crash and certainly not at impact.

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rishtona says...
12:20pm Thu 18 Feb 10

To CapitaBackHander,

Is that really the point?

He was p*ssed and speeding. Aren't these enough excuses needed to lock a scumbag like this up.

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Accy Phil says...
12:21pm Thu 18 Feb 10

Totally inapproriate sentence minimum 60 months prison sentence should have ben given!

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mazx4 says...
8:49am Fri 19 Feb 10

OMW do you know what thats sick driving at 100mph on the motor way if my speedo goes over 70mph i poop myself ,im so glad shes ok and the baby and that sicko needs more time in prison to think bout what hes done he could of killed an innocent women and an unborn baby

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whitty-147 says...
5:18pm Mon 22 Feb 10

throw away the key and dont for what ever reason ever give him a licence again

i would not mind but the ban for driving starts whilst hes inside .... how much drining is he going to miss in there

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whitty-147 says...
5:18pm Mon 22 Feb 10

throw away the key and dont for what ever reason ever give him a licence again

i would not mind but the ban for driving starts whilst hes inside .... how much drining is he going to miss in there

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