Driver jailed after leading police on terrifying 145mph chase
Driver is jailed after leading police on terrifying 145mph chase minutes after the court banned him from driving
- Jason Ryder, 45, tore along wet roads in Yorkshire moments after leaving court
A motorist has been jailed after he led traffic police on a terrifying 145mph chase – just minutes after being banned from driving by a court.
Jason Ryder, 45, walked out of a court in March and got behind the wheel of his Audi A3, despite having his licence revoked by magistrates for drug-driving.
And he then raced from police while weaving in and out of traffic on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire.
Shocking dashcam footage of the chase shows him bombing down the hard shoulder at blistering speeds of more than 130mph.
Other road users were forced to evade him to avoid a crash as he drove at high speed across all lanes, swerving from side to side.
Jason Ryder, 45, walked out of a court in March and got behind the wheel of his Audi A3, despite having his licence revoked by magistrates for drug-driving
Shocking dashcam footage of the chase shows him bombing down the hard shoulder at blistering speeds of more than 130mph
The hair-raising 17-minute pursuit only came to an end when a stinger was used by police to puncture the tyres of the Audi.
At York Crown Court on Thursday, Ryder, of Bishop Auckland, was jailed for 10 months. He had previously admitted dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified.
Ryder’s driving was branded appalling by a judge, who said: ‘It’s extraordinary that nobody was seriously injured or killed.’
The court heard Ryder drove his car home on March 20, minutes after he had been handed a driving ban at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court for drug-driving.
Prosecutor Edward Steele said that Ryder got into his black Audi ‘immediately after being released from the court’ at about midday.
Police switched on the blue lights, but Ryder didn’t stop and a 17-minute car chase ensued.
He first raced along the A658, where he overtook vehicles, causing motorists to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
He then ‘manoeuvred around’ a heavy-goods vehicle and sped onto the A1(M)’s northbound carriageway.
The terrifying footage shows the moment Ryder cuts in front of a lorry as he attempts to escape the police on the A1(M)
He then races down the A658 with the police patrol car behind him reaching speeds of almost 130mph
Me Steele said he was ‘moving across all lanes and travelling for long periods of time on the hard shoulder, at times at speeds of over 130mph in a 70mph zone’.
The Audi picked up speeds of over 140mph as it zig-zagged between dense traffic and overtook and undertook vehicles from one side of the road to the other.
Ryder then turned onto the A6055 towards Northallerton at 140mph on a wet road surface due to the rainy weather, the court heard.
Mr Steele added: ‘The driving included overtaking and driving on the opposite side of the carriageway.’
Police laid a stinger on the road which deflated the Audi’s tyres and the car came to a halt.
He was arrested and brought before York magistrates the following day, where he pleaded guilty to all three offences.
The court heard Ryder had a previous conviction for careless driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis in 1998, for which he received an 18-month motoring ban.
During the chase, Ryder was filmed turning onto the A6055 towards Northallerton at 140mph on a wet road surface due to the rainy weather, the court heard
The Audi picked up speeds of over 140mph as it zig-zagged between dense traffic and overtook and undertook vehicles from one side of the road to the other before being stopped by a polcie stinger (pictured)
Mitigating, barrister Gabrielle Wilks said Ryder made a ‘split-second’ decision to speed from police due to ‘heightened emotions’ following the trial which went against him.
She said he was ‘not thinking straight’ and was suffering from ‘mental angst’ on the day in question due to personal problems.
She added that Ryder had lost his full-time job and could lose his home if he were jailed.
Recorder Anthony Hawks described Ryder’s driving as ‘appalling’ and said he could easily have killed someone.
He told Ryder: ‘The circumstances of the dangerous driving are extremely serious, both as to how it started and the actual driving itself.
‘I reject entirely the suggestion put forward that you didn’t understand the disqualification ran immediately.
‘You had been disqualified before. You must have realised that following your conviction and sentence, you were a disqualified driver.
‘You had no business in taking your car to the magistrates in the first place.’
Mr Hawks said it was clear that Ryder was ‘angry’ when he got behind the wheel because the trial ‘had gone against you’.
He added: ‘At any time during the 17-minute police chase, you could have come to your senses and stopped, but you didn’t.
‘The dangerous driving was appalling. There was heavy traffic. You were weaving all over lanes.
‘You were driving at speeds up to 140mph. It’s extraordinary that nobody was seriously injured or killed.’
Ryder was jailed for 10 months and given a 23-month driving ban.
Traffic officer Paul Cording, of North Yorkshire Police, said after sentencing: ‘It is extremely fortunate that no one was injured as a result of Ryder’s actions.
‘Not only did he put other road users at huge risk due to the dangerous manner of his driving, he also showed a complete disregard for the judicial system.’
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