A Dudley man has been jailed for dangerous driving following a 25 minute pursuit across the West Midlands last month.

Rakash was spotted by traffic officers driving a Vauxhall Insignia on Northfield Road, Netherton. The 40-year-old didn’t stop for officers and continued to drive erratically at speeds of up to 82mph in a 30mph zone.

He ran several red lights and drove on the wrong way down the Birmingham New Road into oncoming traffic and forced his way through parked cars. 

Mr Lal also drove the wrong the wrong way down Island Road, Handsworth before mounting the grassed central reservation to get back on the right side of the road, where traffic officers were waiting for him. They continued to pursue him, before he stopped the car on Victoria Road in Handsworth after he damaged the front tyres when he mounted a curb.

A breath test found that he was twice over the legal alcohol limit. Cannabis was also found in his jacket.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday (13 September) Mr Lal, of Kent Road, Halesowen, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, drink driving and possession of cannabis. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison and disqualified from driving for five years and five months. PC Dan Lynas from the force traffic unit, said:

“Mr Lal drove around the streets of the West Midlands with no care for anyone else’s safety. I am pleased to see that he took responsibility for his actions and pleaded guilty at court.

“The only saving grace of this behaviour is that no-one was hurt. Often this isn’t the case, especially when people chose to get behind of the wheel of a car after drinking. There is no excuse for it!”

THINK! is a campaign from the Department of Transport providing road safety information to drivers and riders in the UK. For more information on why drink driving is so dangerous, please visit their website.