Drink-driver hurtled into cars and badly hurt elderly couple

A DRINK-DRIVER narrowly avoided prison after his “momentary mistake” nearly killed a pensioner and left another with catastrophic injuries.

- LEELA AVON and LUCY JOHN

Chiedozie Obiareri, 45, said he mistook the single carriageway he was driving along for a dual carriageway before he ignored a solid white line in the centre of the road and veered head on into oncoming traffic.

His Mercedes-Benz smashed into two cars, including that of elderly couple Hilda and Christopher Balmont and their eight-year-old granddaughter.

The crash left the couple, who are in their seventies, severely injured and nearly cost Mr Balmont his life.

“Devoted father” Obiareri received a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving while above the alcohol limit.

During a sentencing at Newport Crown Court, a judge described the incident as a “short piece of terrible driving” that resulted in an “almost fatal crash”.

Prosecutor Byron Broadstock said police were called to the scene at around 10pm on November 18, 2023, after a report of a head-on collision on the A4232, Southern Way, on the eastern outskirts of Cardiff.

According to the report, two cars had been struck in the southbound lane by another travelling northbound.

The road has a solid white line separating each carriageway, indicating that it should not be crossed.

Mr Broadstock told the court one of the vehicles hit by Obiareri was a Skoda being driven by Mrs Balmont, which took the “full impact”.

Her husband was sitting in the front passenger seat, while their young granddaughter was in the back seat.

He said that the family have limited recollection of the events that day due to their psychological trauma and injuries, but that pictures of the scene “speak for themselves”.