Terry Colley was driving erratically on the A22 at Golden Cross, near East Grinstead, when he accelerated and crossed paths with the 29-year-old.
The incident caused the woman, who had been shopping for Christmas gifts when the collision happened, only 15 minutes from her home, life-threatening injuries.
She had to be cut out of her car.
Following the incident, Colley convinced others he was not to blame and denied any responsibility throughout police investigations.
Tests found the 46-year-old had taken cocaine and had 144 ml of alcohol in his blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
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At a hearing at Hove Crown Court in July, Colley pleaded not guilty.
On April 22, he appeared again at Lewes Crown Court where at the last minute he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury through dangerous driving.
Judge Stephen Mooney said that this was the worst case of dangerous driving he had seen, and far from Colley’s guilty plea being a sign of remorse, “it was an act of self-preservation and self-pity”.
The judge added: “He’s not shown a shred of remorse.”
In a victim statement, the young mother said: “Thinking back to before the crash, I remember being the happiest that I’ve ever been – I was in a good job, living with my partner and our 13-month-old baby boy in our own home. We had booked a family holiday. I was outgoing, confident and loving new experiences. My life was complete and I couldn’t ask for more.
“My journey was supposed to only take 15 minutes from my home to the shopping centre. That was until I saw a car travelling fast towards me. I didn’t have a chance to avoid it. The image of the driver’s face is imprinted in my mind and marks the moment my life changed forever.
She added: “Initially I wasn’t responding to treatment for a collapsed lung and because of my extensive injuries my partner and mum were told that there was a real chance I would die. I was put in an induced coma.
“I felt excruciating pain all over my body when I woke, and when I could speak, I just repeated to my family: ‘It wasn’t my fault’.
“I’ve had so many operations. I’ve had my spleen removed, and pins were put in my arms, hands, legs, ankles. Another operation will hopefully address the severe pain in my leg.
“My family life has been shattered. I now suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. It’s traumatising that I can’t do any of the things I used to do with my little boy, and my partner has had to give up work to look after us, including our new baby girl.
“I cannot bring myself to drive and being a passenger fills me with absolute dread. I am constantly thinking something is going to happen.
“Our happiness has been taken away from us as a family, owing to this man’s negligence.”
Colley pleaded guilty on April 22 and was told he would be sentenced the following day. He failed to return to court and was sentenced in his absence to four years’ imprisonment for dangerous driving and given a six-year and one month driving disqualification.
Officers found Colley, of Swanwick Close in London, soon after sentencing and escorted him directly to court to begin his sentence.
Colley was also sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for a separate offence after pleading guilty to breach of a non-molestation order in relation to a former partner. He was given a 15-year restraining order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Detective Constable David Symonds said Colley was “not the victim he claimed to be” and continued blaming the woman for being on the wrong side of the road despite being shown CCTV evidence to the contrary.
“He cowardly hid behind his lie, convincing a lot of people that he was not to blame, until he pleaded guilty at the very last second at crown court,” said the detective constable.
He said he hoped the victim could “now focus on recovering without this hanging over her”.
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