A dramatic and tragic collision on England’s M27 has drawn fresh attention to how courts deal with drink-driving cases that leave victims with permanent disabilities.
In a case that reads like a cautionary tale for drivers everywhere, a 45-year-old woman from Berkshire admitted to crashing her Mercedes into a vehicle stopped on the hard shoulder while not only drunk, but also actively engaged in FaceTime calls and claims to be an “amazing driver.”
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The victim, former professional footballer Jordan Chiedozie, lost a leg and suffered multiple catastrophic injuries in the wreck. However, this week’s sentence – just 28 months in prison – has left people debating whether sentences in such cases adequately reflect the irreversible harm caused.
A routine stop turns catastrophic on the hard shoulder
The collision happened after nightfall on February 1, 2025, when Chiedozie pulled over on the side of the highway to check a flat tire on his Volkswagen Golf.
This is exactly the kind of situation for which violates the law exists in the USA. The law requires occupiers approaching vehicles stopped on the side of the road to move into one lane if they can do so safely or reduce their speed significantly below the posted limit.
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Despite the presence of hazard lights and reflective clothing, a Mercedes driven by Anna Malgorzata Bogusiewicz sped into the Gulf, hitting Chiedozie and his physio companion.
Emergency services rushed him to hospital where his injuries were so severe that doctors had no choice but to amputate his right leg. He also suffered open fractures to his left leg and a cracked pelvis and was placed in an induced coma.
Intoxication, distraction and a ‘grim irony’
Tests later conducted by police showed Bogusiewicz had nearly twice the legal limit of alcohol in her system at the time of the crash. Investigators also discovered several video calls on her phone in the minutes before impact, adding to the grim irony of her defense.
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According to court records, she described herself as an “amazing driver” during initial questioning, even as evidence gathered of her judgment and reckless behavior behind the wheel.
The stark contradiction between that self-assessment and the disastrous outcome of her leadership understandably became a focal point in public reaction.
Prosecutors argued that the combination of drunk driving and distracted driving constituted clear and dangerous negligence. The prosecutor told the court there was no excuse for getting behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol and using the phone at the same time.
“This terrible, life-changing collision could have easily been avoided had the defendant not made the selfish decision to drive while intoxicated,” Detective Constable Joy Jarvis said.
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A changed life, a debated sentence
In his victim impact statement, Chiedozie offered a glimpse of the human cost. “Before, my life was simple. I played professional and part-time football and worked as a roofer every day. Everything I loved to do is no longer easy,” he said, reflecting on how the injuries changed his day-to-day existence.
He admitted that he would love to get his old life back, but admitted that “it will never be because of one day that changed everything”.
However, in the eyes of some observers, the sentence imposed at Southampton Crown Court on January 23 did not match the severity of the harm caused. Bogusiewicz was convicted of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink driving and received 28 months in prison, along with a three-year driving ban and a requirement to pass an extended driving retest before he can get behind the wheel again.
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Transatlantic contrast in convictions and a long road to recovery
Image credit: jaychid/Instagram.
Critics on both sides of the Atlantic have pointed out that a similar sentence of just over two years in prison may seem light in cases where a victim is left with a lifelong disability. In the United States, sentences for similar conduct vary greatly by state, but many jurisdictions impose substantially harsher penalties when drunk driving results in serious bodily injury.
In some states, causing a vehicular injury while intoxicated can trigger felony charges with possible decades in prison, especially when accompanied by aggravating factors such as phone use or repeat offenses.
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In contrast, UK guidelines are framed more around culpability and absence of intent to harm, which can lead to lower maximum sentences even when the physical consequences are devastating.
For Chiedozie, the road is long. With the support of former teammates and the wider football community, he has begun to adjust to life with a prosthetic and is focused on recovery, even as he continues to come to terms with the profound changes in his life.