Police wrote off a car to protect the public after a motorist they were pursuing decided to U-turn on the M4 and drive against traffic.
At around 8.40pm on Monday (12 December), specialist traffic officers stopped a Toyota Corolla on the hard shoulder of the motorway.
But the driver, 21-year-old Reggie Reed, floored it when the officers exited their vehicle and a pursuit ensued between junctions 14 and 15.
A rolling roadblock was initiated and the defendant, of Kingshill Road, Swindon, U-turned into the flow of oncoming traffic and drove the wrong direction.
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Concerned for the lives of innocent motorists, one officer used their vehicle to ram the Toyota and bring it to a stop, prosecutor Pauline Lambert told Swindon Magistrates’ Court today (15 December). The vehicle was written off as a result.
“There were concerns for everyone on the motorway, there was a significant risk of a collision and to protect other road users, officers made contact with the Toyota”, she said.
Adding: “They felt they needed to do everything to prevent it… a police vehicle crashed into the car and the police car is a write-off.”
Reed admitted his crimes, pleading guilty to failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.
Defending, Emma Hillier, said her client “just panicked” when he noticed an array of blue lights ahead of him, adding that he is “full of remorse”.
The court heard that Reed has previous for dangerous driving and taking a VW Scirocco without consent in 2019. He was disqualified and ordered to complete a community order.
Magistrates sent the case to Swindon Crown court for sentencing.
Reed, who was supported by both parents in court, was released on bail with conditions not to sit in the front of any vehicle, must live and sleep at his address in Kingshill Road and must comply with a GPS tagged curfew between 7pm and 7am.
