A DRIVER who caused a crash that left a woman with life-changing head injuries has been jailed for nine months.

Terry Poole, aged 28, was riding his motorbike to work on 8 September last year when he crashed into a woman who was crossing Oldbury Road, Rowley Regis.

Poole was travelling at speeds of up to 63mph at the time – more than double the 30mph speed limit for the road.

The 27-year-old woman he hit sustained a serious head injury that has completely changed her life.

Poole pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced to nine months in prison and disqualified from driving for 28 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday (July 19).

Sergeant Mark Crozier, from West Midlands Police serious collision investigation unit, said: “Speed kills and this could have easily been a fatal collision. Instead, a young woman has sustained devastating injuries, changing her life forever.

“Excessive speeds are not acceptable, and this is yet another case where speeding has ended in tragedy on the roads of the West Midlands.

“If Poole was riding at the 30mph speed limit then this collision would probably not have happened; he would have had more than enough time to see that she was crossing the road.

“Our thoughts remain with the woman and her family as she continues her journey of recovery.”