A teenager who drank vodka in a car park before driving away from police and crashing into a hedge, injuring three passengers, has been sent to a young offenders institution.

One of the passengers suffered lifechanging injuries following the crash in Cardigan on 21 September last year, Swansea Crown Court was told.

Zac Thomas, 19, from Rhos Y Grug, Bryngwyn, Newcastle Emlyn, was told by the judge that his car had been ‘akin to a deadly weapon’ and that he had caused ‘devastation’ by his actions.

Prosecutor, Sian Cutter, told the court that Thomas was in his VW Polo at a skatepark in Cardigan and was seen drinking vodka.

Two other teens were invited to join Thomas and another in the car and then he drove off with them inside, despite pleas from the passengers for his to stop.

Thomas drove at speed through Cardigan and pulled out into the path of a van at one point as police officers were called to the scene at around 10pm.

Officers pursued Thomas’ car after it failed to stop, with Thomas telling the passengers ‘I’m going to lose them’.

The Polo then left the road through an open gate and Thomas drove through a field, where one of the teenage passengers jumped out.

The Polo ended up at the bottom of the field after crashing into a hedge

The force of the crash threw a rear seat passenger into the windscreen with the teen’s head sticking out through the glass with his body still in the car and his neck trapped by the broken glass, the court was told.

As a result, the teen suffered horrific neck and facial injuries along with smashed teeth, a broken nose, and fractured vertebrae.

Another rear passenger had a deep wound to her forehead and the front seat passenger was trapped in the footwell with a fracture to her ankle.

All three passengers were taken to hospital and Thomas only suffered minor injuries.

None were wearing seatbelts the court was told.

The court was told that a back-calculation of Thomas’ alcohol level showed he had146mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, the legal limit being 80mg.

In an impact statement from the teen thrown into the windscreen, he said he was trying to come to terms with the fact he would never be the same again and would not wish what he had been through on his worst enemy.

The teen had to learn to walk again and irreparable damage to his tongue has left his speech impaired.

Thomas had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and to driving with excess alcohol.

Defence barrister Ryan Bowen said Thomas was a ‘complex individual’ and had turned to alcohol following the death of his mother in 2022.

Thomas was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution and will serve up to half of his sentence in custody.

He was also disqualified from driving for five years and three months.