A drug-driver ran across all six lanes of the M6 after leading police on a 140mph pursuit.
Provisional licence holder Daniel Lucas, 41, initially accelerated away from officers who activated the blue lights of their patrol car as they attempted to stop his Jaguar XF.
The incident began between junctions 36 and 35 of the southbound carriageway at around 7.30pm on Wednesday July 2 last year.
During a 10-minute pursuit across 19 miles, past three M6 junctions and involving Cumbria and Lancashire police officers, Lucas’s car reached speeds of 140mph, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
Lucas undertook a host of vehicles, hurled items including a glass bottle — which smashed — out of a window and continued to flout the 70mph limit.
“Apart from speeds which reached 140mph,” said prosecutor Brendan Burke, “they include 120mph, more generally, through lane restricted road works.”
Lucas pulled into Lancaster services and turned into a service road leading into the countryside before failing to stop at a T-junction.
The Jaguar smashed into a barrier as Cumbria and Lancashire officers closed in, and Lucas left his vehicle.
“He then flees on foot,” said Mr Burke. “He is chased. The police will not follow him because he is willing to run across the motorway, through traffic, to the other side.
“He is actually located, by the air ambulance service with thermal imaging technology, hiding in a bush.”
No injuries nor other collisions were reported.
Lucas — a man with two previous drug-driving offences on his criminal record — was found to be over the legal cannabis limit. He was said to have sped off from police in a panic, mindful of those past offences.
When brought to court he admitted dangerous driving, drug-driving and no insurance.
During the sentencing hearing, defence barrister Anthony Parkinson admitted Lucas, a father, was guilty of a very poor piece of driving.
“He knows full well the court may take the view that punishment can only be met by a period of immediate imprisonment,” said Mr Parkinson.
That was the course of action taken by Judge Michael Fanning, who imposed an immediate 12-month jail term.
Scrap metal business owner Lucas, of Sefton Road, Heysham, must serve a three-year driving ban when released from custody and pass an extended retest before securing a full driving licence.
“You conducted yourself in a shocking way,” the judge told Lucas.
“The public are most at risk from offenders who drive in this way. A disproportionate number of people were put at risk by your selfish decision to conduct yourself in the way that you did.”
“Nobody injured, fortunately,” added the judge. “But that just a matter of luck.”
- The judge also ordered that Lucas should be formally deprived of the Jaguar, which was badly damaged during the incident.
