A DORSET man who caused a crash in which a mum lost her unborn baby has been jailed for almost four years.

Stuart Wells, 29, may have fallen asleep at the wheel when he drove head-on into two cars as he returned home from work.

He initially tried to blame a sneeze for the collision, which happened in March last year. However, he later accepted this was not the case.

Wells was driving back to his home in Terrace View, Sherborne when his car 'drifted' into oncoming traffic on the B3151 at Somerton in Somerset.

Jackie Luxon and her two-year-old daughter were left with life-changing injuries as a result of the crash.

Mrs Luxon's daughter suffered a serious spinal cord injury and was paralysed for four months.

Other drivers saw Wells' Ford Fiesta repeatedly drift in and out of the opposite carriageway for some seven miles. The car was also travelling faster than the 40mph speed limit.

One motorist described him as a "real nuisance", and said he repeatedly tailgated her and was "driving aggressively" as if "pushing her to go faster", the court heard.

Robin Shellard, prosecutin gat Taunton Crown Court, said Mrs Luxon's husband Tom had just bought a new car and she was following behind when the collision happened.

Wells first clipped Mr Luxon's Peugeot and then crashed head-on into Mrs Luxon's Seat.

When the defendant was confronted by another driver, he seemed "confused about what had happened", the prosecutor said.

"He couldn't explain why he drifted across the road and he blamed the collision on a sneeze," Mr Shellard said.

Wells was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash. He also had not been using his mobile phone.

In a joint victim impact statement, Mrs Luxon and her husband said "unquantifiable" pain had been inflicted upon them.

"In the space of a few hours we lost one child and another was placed in a medically-induced coma," they said.

"With a broken neck and a damaged spinal cord we will not be able to allow our daughter to have a normal carefree childhood.

"Extra care will be needed to do normal things that parents take for granted, such as walking up the stairs or going to the park."

Mrs Luxon added: "Our unborn daughter is not recognised in English law as she did not experience life outside my body.

"It's heartbreaking that no prosecution was made for the loss of her life and I hope that this is taken into consideration and changes are made in the law."

Wells admitted two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Patrick Mason, mitigating, said: "His livelihood, reputation and self-respect has gone and he must live with the consequence of knowing what he has done.

"A motorist saw him drift across the road on a number of occasions for about seven miles.

"It is suggestive of a man that drove in a fatigued state."

Judge David Ticehurst jailed Wells for three years and seven months, telling him: "Whatever the cause it is clear this was a significant period of dangerous driving.

"The law states that an unborn child is not a person for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act.

"Mr and Mrs Luxon were looking forward to the birth of their child in a few weeks and the fact she is not recognised by the law no doubt adds to their sense of loss.

"To them she will always be their daughter.

"The consequences have been devastating to them and will be for the rest of their lives.

"I recognise the sentence I pass cannot reflect the harm caused to their family.

"I wish I had the power."

Wells was also banned from driving for six years and 10 months and ordered to take an extended retest.