A DRIVER who caused a serious crash after speeding 90mph through major roadworks on the Upton Bypass has been banned from the road for two years.

Robert John Stitfall was sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, March 14, after pleading guilty to an offence of dangerous driving.

The 53-year-old, of Wiltshire Avenue in Weymouth, was driving an Alfa Romeo courtesy car along the eastbound carriageway of the A35 Upton Bypass, near to the A350 interchange, on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 25.

Major roadworks were under way on the road, with a lane two closure and the 70mph speed limit reduced to 30mph.

Stitfall left the Bakers Arms roundabout and was seen to overtake nine slower moving vehicles at a very high speed on the approach to the lane closure – accelerating throughout to 70, 80 and 90mph. Witnesses described the car as swerving erratically while overtaking and said his manner of driving was ‘dangerous, reckless and suicidal’.

Stitfall failed to slow down or react to the coned taper and lane closure and forced two cars to steer to the left to allow him to pass. After forcing his way past the two cars, he drove straight into the back of a Land Rover Discovery.

The crash forced the Discovery further up the road and the Alfa Romeo spun off the road, hit traffic cones and came to rest on the grass central reservation.

Stitfall was trapped inside the car and suffered serious injuries to his face, teeth, chest and hip. He had to be cut free from the car and was taken to Poole Hospital before being transferred to Southampton General Hospital for specialist treatment.

The driver of the Discovery and his front seat passenger received slight injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Collision investigators from Dorset Police examined the scene and discovered that the engine cylinder head had been knocked off the engine block as a result of the crash. The speedometer needle on the Alfa Romeo was found to be stuck at 100mph.

Police Sergeant Joe Pardey, of the Serious Collision Investigation Team, said: “Robert Stitfall’s driving on that day fell well below the standard expected of a competent and responsible driver. He put his life and that of other road users at risk and it is nothing more than luck that no one died that day.”

Dorset County Council Upton ward councillor Fred Drane said he was “shocked” by Stitfall’s reckless driving that day.

“It’s certainly the worst case of speeding I’ve ever heard of during the Upton Bypass roadworks,” he said. “Drivers need to be careful as there are people working there who need to be protected. There’s only so much protection you can give them, though, when people are mad enough to drive like this.

“The signs clearly state the speed limit is 30mph - you certainly cannot drive anywhere near 90mph through those roadworks.”

Stitfall was also handed a 12-month community order and told he would have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, pay £250 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.