Moment boy racer causes dual carriageway pile-up leaving two people and dog badly injured - as police say he was lucky not to kill

By LETTICE BROMOVSKY, NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:22, 27 May 2026 | Updated: 13:25, 27 May 2026 A reckless young driver who filmed himself tailgating cars moments before a devastating crash has been jailed. Rhys Courtney, 22, was caught on mobile phone footage weaving aggressively through traffic on the A52 in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire, before slamming into the back of another vehicle with catastrophic force. The violent impact sent the car spinning off the road, leaving its occupants badly hurt and triggering a three-vehicle collision late at night. A woman travelling in the vehicle suffered a broken collarbone and later needed surgery, while the male driver was left covered in severe bruising.  Even the family dog travelling with them was injured badly enough to require veterinary treatment. Police raced to the scene shortly after 10pm on January 18 last year and spoke with Courtney before arresting him nine days later. When questioned, Courtney claimed he had been travelling at around 60 to 70mph after deciding with a friend to 'drive around the area aimlessly'. But officers then confronted him with damning footage from a mobile phone showing his silver Seat hurtling towards the car in front before he desperately swerved and smashed into it. Rhys Courtney, 22, was caught on mobile phone footage weaving aggressively through traffic on the A52 in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire When questioned, Courtney claimed he had been travelling at about 60 to 70mph after deciding with a friend to 'drive around the area aimlessly' The violent impact sent the car spinning off the road, leaving its occupants badly hurt and triggering a three-vehicle collision late at night Faced with the evidence, Courtney admitted he had been going 'a bit fast' and insisted the crash had made him a more careful motorist. He later pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. At Nottingham Crown Court on March 4, he was jailed for 18 months. He was also banned from getting behind the wheel for two years and nine months and must complete an extended driving test before he can legally drive again. Courtney attempted to challenge the sentence, but his appeal has since been thrown out. PC Pip Luxton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'Courtney can consider himself fortunate not to have killed anyone with his reckless and dangerous behaviour. 'The victims in this incident were doing what the vast majority of road users do every single day - driving within the speed limit in a safe and sensible way. 'Their reward for that care and consideration was to be hit violently from behind by a man who chose to go out that night and drive dangerously and aggressively. 'I am pleased he has now been held to account.' Inspector Usha Madara added: 'As Courtney has discovered to his cost, the consequences of this kind of behaviour can be very serious indeed. 'I hope what has happened to him acts as a warning to other young men about the consequences of such recklessness, stupidity, and disregard for the safety of other road users.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.