Shocking video footage has surfaced showing a reckless driver attempting to flee from police on a busy UK road while officers raced at speeds reaching 150mph to apprehend him.
The driver, identified as 22-year-old Kieran Connor, engaged in a high-speed police chase on the A19, with law enforcement officers having to exceed 146mph in pursuit. During the chase, Connor turned off his vehicle’s lights at 125mph and forcefully drove through cones on a closed section of the road.
At one point, he accelerated to 80mph in a residential area with a speed limit of 20mph. Subsequently, he collided with another vehicle and attempted to escape the scene around 9:45 pm on September 4. A witness described feeling a sense of imminent danger, fearing for their life as the driver crashed into them.
The police initially spotted Connor driving a Ford S-max south of the Tyne Tunnel on the A19. Connor, who was wanted by the authorities after evading officers in Wallsend on a previous occasion, refused to stop when signaled by the police’s blue lights and sirens, accelerating to 110mph before turning off his lights. He proceeded to drive through a red light and narrowly avoided colliding with a member of the public.
Upon reaching speeds of 80mph in a residential 20 zone with his lights off, the police terminated the pursuit due to safety concerns. However, Connor was later sighted on the A1231 by an undercover officer who sought backup, believing that Connor remained unaware of being followed.
Continuing to exhibit reckless behavior, Connor was observed driving at 80mph in a 50 zone, overtaking vehicles without valid reasons. On the A19, he aggressively maneuvered between two cars, forcefully pushing one into the central reservation in what was described as a deliberate ramming incident.
As the police suspected that Connor was aware of being pursued, marked police cars resumed the chase. According to David Robinson-Young, the prosecuting attorney, Connor drove at 125mph without lights, causing damage to cones in a closed roadworks area. Subsequently, he breached a closed road section at Easington, disregarding safety precautions and placing road workers at risk.
Connor’s reckless driving culminated in a collision with a member of the public’s vehicle, where he allegedly intentionally crashed into the other car to create an escape route. Following the collision, Connor attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended while hiding behind a bush in a nearby garden.
The prolonged pursuit, lasting over 30 minutes, was deemed “atrocious driving” by a police expert. Despite colliding at 112mph, miraculously, no severe injuries or fatalities occurred. The officer emphasized that Connor exhibited a blatant disregard for public safety, stating that it was the most egregious case of dangerous driving witnessed during their service.
In response to the incident, the victim of the collision expressed profound fear and concern, recounting the harrowing experience and the potential threat to their life and that of their passenger. Connor, a resident of Shotton Colliery, Durham, pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, driving without a license or insurance, and breaching previous court orders. Consequently, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison and received a three-year driving ban.
During the sentencing, Judge Gavin Doig condemned Connor’s reckless actions, highlighting the extreme danger he posed to himself and other road users. The judge characterized Connor’s behavior as a severe instance of dangerous driving, stressing the gravity of his actions and their potential consequences.
Connor, who has a history of criminal convictions, including offenses related to vehicle theft, dangerous driving, and violence, was under two suspended sentences and a community order at the time of the incident. In his defense, Connor acknowledged the severity of his actions, attributing his reckless behavior to personal issues and vulnerabilities, such as learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism.
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