It was ‘pure luck’ no one died in the crash, caused by David Poulton (Picture: SWNS)

A career criminal who left a five-year-old boy with a brain injury after causing a horrific car crash during a high-speed chase has been jailed. 

David Poulton, 41, drove on the wrong side of the road and sped through red traffic lights at 80mph while trying to evade police.  

He ploughed a stolen Ford EcoSport into a VW T-Cross carrying three adults and two boys on Heartlands Parkway in Birmingham, just before 2pm on April 30.  

The family of five had travelled to the West Midlands to visit their in-laws for Eid and were on their way to the Star City leisure and entertainment centre.  

A five-year-old boy suffered a bleed on the brain and is now undergoing rehabilitation to learn how to talk again.  

His younger brother, aged three, escaped with less serious injuries, West Midlands Police said.  

The three adults suffered injuries including a broken femur.  

Poulton – who has more than 40 previous convictions – was arrested and taken to hospital with minor injuries after the crash.  

The aftermath of the crash on April 30 (Picture: West Midlands Police / SWNS)

The car was stolen from a Morrisons car park in Coventry.  

Poulton was wanted for making threats and criminal damage at the time of his arrest.  

He admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, disqualified driving, failing to stop for police, driving without insurance, handling stolen goods and failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis. 

The crash happened as Poulton tried to evade police on an 80mph chase (Picture: West Midlands Police / SWNS)

Poulton, of no fixed address, was jailed for a total of six years and banned from the road for 18 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.  

He also admitted possession of cannabis, as well as the offences he was wanted for at the time.  

Speaking after the sentence was passed, Sergeant Richard Adams, of Birmingham CID, said: ‘This was an appalling case of dangerous driving.  

‘He showed a complete disregard for other drivers, and once he decided to speed the wrong way down a busy road, a collision was inevitable. 

‘It was pure luck that he or other people weren’t killed. 

‘Thankfully the family involved are all making good recoveries.’  

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A five-year-old boy suffered a bleed on the brain and is now undergoing rehabilitation to learn how to talk again.