A man has been jailed for causing a multiple crash on the A120.

Five cars were written off in the accident last December and a court heard one driver received serious injuries.

Timothy Thatcher was in a queue of five or six cars on the road near Wix at about 6pm on December 6 last year, when he pulled out to overtake them.

Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday heard how his Peugeot collided head-on with a Mini, driven by Darren Benjamin, which was heading in the opposite direction, towards Harwich.

"The impact forced the Mini to hit the kerb and overturn and it ended up on its roof trapping Mr Benjamin inside," Stephen Dyble, prosecuting, said.

"Thatcher's car then hit a Peugeot driven by Cheryl Southgate, who had been behind Mr Benjamin. It continued along the road before it stopped, facing in the wrong direction on the Colchester-bound track," said Mr Dyble.

And he added: "Another Peugeot was confronted by Thatcher's car and it hit the front of the vehicle before careering across the road, where another car, this time a Renault, managed to avoid the vehicle but ended up down an embankment."

Mr Benjamin had to be cut from his car by firefighters and he suffered serious injuries in the accident, which included a broken pelvis, fractured ribs and a shattered elbow.

He was in traction for ten weeks. All five cars involved in the accident were written off, the court heard.

Thatcher, 32, of Bromley Road, Frating, ran off after the accident but was found near the scene later, with the help of the police helicopter and thermal imaging cameras.

He was taken to hospital, where a blood test revealed an alcohol level of 103mg. The limit for driving is 80mg.

Published Tuesday December 18, 2001