A reckless drink and drug-driver who left a young mum with life-threatening injuries in a horror head-on crash has been jailed for four years.
Terry Colley, 46, of Swanwick Close, London, was driving erratically on the A22 at Golden Cross, East Sussex, on 12 November 2023 when he veered into the path of 29-year-old Sophie, who was on a short trip to buy Christmas gifts.
Colley, whose blood alcohol level was nearly double the legal limit and who had taken cocaine, was pulled unconscious from his burning Skoda by brave witnesses. His dog, also in the car, sadly died in the wreckage.
Meanwhile, Sophie was trapped inside her BMW and had to be cut free by firefighters. She was airlifted to hospital with critical injuries and placed in an induced coma.
Despite overwhelming evidence, including CCTV footage, Colley denied responsibility and maintained his innocence for 18 months, even blaming Sophie for the crash. He only admitted guilt on the first day of his trial at Lewes Crown Court on 22 April 2025.
Judge Mooney described the case as “the worst example of dangerous driving” he had seen. He added that Colley’s last-minute guilty plea was not a sign of remorse but “an act of self-preservation and self-pity,” noting the 46-year-old had shown “not a shred of remorse.”
Tests showed Colley had 144mg of alcohol in his blood—well above the 80mg legal limit—and cocaine in his system.
Sophie, a mother of two, has undergone multiple surgeries since the crash and now lives with chronic pain, PTSD, and permanent trauma. Her partner has given up work to care for her and their children.
Recalling the crash, Sophie said:
“I remember being the happiest I’ve ever been—living with my partner and our 13-month-old son, expecting a holiday, and loving life. That all changed in an instant. I remember seeing a car speeding towards me. I had no chance to avoid it.
I was told I might not survive. I’ve lost my spleen, have pins in my limbs, and I live in constant pain. I can’t drive. I can’t be the mum I was. Our family’s happiness has been stolen by one man’s selfish choices.”
Colley failed to return to court for sentencing on 23 April but was swiftly located and taken into custody. He was sentenced in his absence to four years in prison for causing serious injury by dangerous driving and disqualified from driving for six years and one month.
In a separate case, he also received a two-month sentence after admitting to breaching a non-molestation order related to a former partner. He was handed a 15-year restraining order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Detective Constable David Symonds said:
“Colley cowardly hid behind lies and blamed Sophie until the very last moment. Now the truth is out, and Sophie can hopefully begin to heal without the weight of his deception hanging over her.”
