A 20-year-old driver has been jailed for an "appalling mistake" that led to a head-on crash in which another motorist suffered "devastating" injuries.

Vehicle technician Scott Herbert pulled out in his BMW to overtake a large van on the A4103 near the junction with Claphill Lane, near Rushwick, Worcester Crown Court heard.

But he misjudged the manoeuvre so badly that he ploughed head-on into a Mercedes travelling in the opposite direction while he was still alongside the van, Scott Coughtrie, prosecuting, told the court.

Both drivers were badly hurt and rescue services spent two hours at the scene after the crash on the afternoon of Sunday, January 17 this year. The roof had to be cut off the Mercedes to free the driver, 60-year-old Andrea Whitell, who suffered "devastating" injuries, Mr Coughtrie said.

She had spent 15 weeks in hospital, undergoing seven operations, and is still now 18 months away from a recovery, Mr Coughtrie told a sentencing hearing.

Mrs Whitell, who had been on her way from Hereford to her home in Rugby when the accident happened, missed a once-in-a-lifetime family holiday with her grandchildren while she was in hospital and the activities she enjoyed, such as gardening, are now difficult for her.

In a victim impact statement, she said she had also had a "patchwork quilt" of skin grafts.

Herbert, of Meadow Close, Baughton, near Upton, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He had been on his way to help a friend fix a car and he also suffered serious injuries including a number of broken bones.

He was in hospital for seven weeks and has been unable to work since the accident, the court heard.

Jason Aris, defending, handed in a number of references to the court and said Herbert had been a man of good character who had worked hard after qualifying as a vehicle technician.

"He is a young man of much promise," Mr Aris said.

"He did not realise at first how devastating the consequences of his actions had been. He wants the court to know how remorseful he is."

Judge Robert Juckes QC said Herbert had made "an appalling mistake" and had badly misjudged the situation on the road.

"The purpose of sentencing in cases of this sort is very much to send out a message that when you are behind the wheel of a car you are in a position to kill if you make a bad mistake," he said.

He said that, as a result of the accident, Mrs Whitell had been lucky not to lose her right leg and had suffered injuries which were likely to be with her for the rest of her life.

Herbert was given a jail sentence of 18 months. He was also banned from driving for two years following his release and will have to take an extended re-test.