Cleveland Police warning to drivers after spate of dangerous driving incidents
Police are warning drivers that "the full force of the law" will be used - after dealing with a series of dangerous driving incidents across Teesside
Police are warning drivers that the “full force of the law will be used” after a series of incidents of dangerous driving across Teesside.
These incidents have seen vehicles making off at speed, and some driving contraflow on major A-roads.
With three incidents within a week since Monday, Cleveland Police is issuing a stark warning that drivers are putting their own lives at risk, as well as other innocent road users.
A 16-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons - pleaded guilty at Teesside Magistrates Court on Thursday 15th October to dangerous driving, no insurance and disqualified driving, following an incident in the early hours of Wednesday 14th October, where a car made off from police and travelled against the flow of traffic on the A66.
An officer on mutual aid from West Yorkshire Police arrested the two occupants of the vehicle before anyone could be harmed.
These incidents followed the recent incident in August this year on the A66 where seven people lost their lives, including two on-duty police officers, PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough, when a VW Passat which was travelling the wrong way on the A66 hit a police car.
Chief Superintendent Paul Richardson said: “We have seen a number of incidents in the last week, including where two young people have risked their lives, and the lives of other innocent road users, by driving dangerously. Staggeringly, this has included some driving contraflow on our busiest roads in Cleveland.
“This puts people at immediate, serious risk of harm or even death. It is truly shocking to see drivers take these risks, and we want those people to know that we will come down hard on anyone who thinks this behaviour is acceptable, and we will use the full force of the law in identifying, investigating and prosecuting anyone who commits these offences.
“We have a number of tactics available to us including the National Police Air Service, and the police drone, which helps us to locate and identify these people and bring them before the courts.
“We do not want to see anyone else harmed as a result of this behaviour, and so I ask those people to please think twice before committing these extremely dangerous acts.
“I also ask anyone who witnesses any driving appearing to be dangerous or erratic, to dial 999 immediately”.
In the last week, Cleveland Police has seen three incidents where vehicles have gone against the flow of traffic on major routes -
On Monday 12th October, around midnight, a vehicle made off from officers on Cambridge Road, Middlesbrough, before turning onto Acklam Road and then heading contraflow on the A66 towards Middlesbrough. Enquiries are ongoing in relation to the driver of this vehicle.
Two 16-year-old boys were arrested after a Renault Megane made off from police around 12:20am on Wednesday 14th October. The car collided with street furniture and drove the wrong way on the A66, where an officer on mutual aid from West Yorkshire Police made the arrests. One boy pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and disqualified driving at Teesside Magistrates Court on Thursday 15th October and will be sentenced in November.
The second boy was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and was bailed whilst enquiries continue.
A report of a VW Passat driving erratically in Thornaby around 1am on Thursday 15th October, which then drove dangerously and against the traffic on the A19. Enquiries are ongoing to identify the driver.