Man jailed after running across six lanes of M6 in police pursuit
He's been given an immediate 12-month prison sentence
Last updated 9 hours ago
A dangerous driver who fled on foot across all six lanes of the M6 after leading police on a 140mph county cross-border pursuit has been given an immediate 12-month prison sentence.
Provisional licence holder Daniel Lucas, aged 41, accelerated away from officers who illuminated the blue lights of their patrol car as they attempted to stop his Jaguar XF. The incident began between junctions 36 and 35 of the southbound carriageway at around 7-30pm on Wednesday, 2nd July last year.
During a 10-minute pursuit across 19 miles and past three M6 junctions in Cumbria and then Lancashire, Lucas’s car reached speeds of 140mph, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
Lucas undertook a host of vehicles, hurled items including a glass bottle out of a window and continued to exceed the 70mph limit amid a lane closure ahead of looming road works — within which he then hit 120mph.
Lucas pulled into Lancaster services and turned into a service road before failing to stop at a T-junction and crashing into a barrier. A prosecutor told how he then ran away from the vehicle and hurdled a central reservation barrier as he crossed six lanes of the M6 before hiding in undergrowth. He was caught after being spotted by an air ambulance crew using thermal image technology. Cumbria and Lancashire police officers responded during the incident.
Lucas — a man with two previous drug-driving offences on his criminal record — was found to be over the legal cannabis limit, and was said to have sped off with his past offences in mind.
When brought to court he admitted dangerous driving, drug-driving and no insurance.
During the sentencing hearing, defence barrister Anthony Parkinson admitted Lucas, a father, was guilty of a “very poor piece of driving”.
Judge Michael Fanning imposed an immediate 12-month prison term. Scrap metal business owner Lucas, of Sefton Road, Heysham, must serve a three-year driving ban when released from custody and pass an extended re-test before securing a full driving licence.
“You conducted yourself in a shocking way,” added the judge. He made a formal direction for Lucas to be deprived of the vehicle, which was badly damaged in the incident.