Moment banned motorist crashes after driving wrong way along dual …

Shocking footage shows the moment a banned motorist crashed a stolen van after driving the wrong way along a dual carriageway at 70mph. David Munford, 39, can be seen narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic as he led police on the dangerous chase through the streets of Bedworth, Warks.

Traffic cops began the pursuit after spotting the stolen Mercedes Sprinter van on cloned plates in Northamptonshire on September 3. The chase crossed counties as Munford sped down the M6 motorway before he began recklessly hurtling the wrong direction along the A444.

Innocent drivers were forced to take evasive action while officers were forced to abandon the pursuit due to risks of head-on collision with the public.

A police helicopter continued to track the vehicle with on board cameras capturing the dramatic chase as Mumford carried on to Newtown Road, Bedworth.

He can then be seen ploughing into another vehicle at high speed before trying to escape on foot along with his passenger.

Mumford was quickly arrested by Warwickshire Police officers who discovered a motorbike inside the van, which had been stolen from an address in Coventry.

The van itself had been separately stolen from a delivery driver in Coventry on August 21.

The passengers in the other vehicle hit by Mumford were later taken to hospital for minor injuries.

Mumford was found guilty of dangerous driving, possession of cannabis, driving while disqualified and without insurance, and for receiving stolen goods.

Mumford, of Nuneaton, Warks., was jailed for four months yesterday (Tue), banned from driving for 45 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.

PC Halfacree, from Bedworth Patrol Investigations Unit, said afterwards: “It’s a miracle that no-one was killed as a result of Mumford’s reckless driving.

“Frankly, even a provisional license holder should know that driving the wrong way up a 70mph max road is a phenomenally bad idea.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Northamptonshire Police for their vigilance in identifying the vehicle and pursuing it as far as possible.

“We are happy that some good came out of this in the seizure of the intact stolen motorbike, and in that we’ve given Mr Mumford some time to consider his life choices and the people he has hurt.”

References

1. ^{^} Bristol underground: Calls to drop 'fantasy' of tunnelled mass transit system (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Bristol neighbourhoods with fastest-rising house prices (www.bristolpost.co.uk)