Dangerous driver who drove wrong way down A66 is jailed

A dangerous driver who drove a stolen car the wrong way down the A66 near Darlington has been jailed.

Aaron Drummond drove off from officers when they tried to pull him over after spotting a BMW that had been reported as stolen being driven in the Haughton area of Darlington on January 29.

The 27-year-old led officers on a high-speed pursuit, during which he reached speeds of 59mph in a 30mph zone and narrowly avoided hitting pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

Drummond then drove the wrong way down the A66 towards Sadberge, narrowly avoiding two HGVs and several other vehicles before abandoning the car.

On another occasion, Drummond drove a Mitsubishi Outlander the wrong way down the A1(M) with his lights off, before crashing into another vehicle on February 14.

Officers from Durham Roads and Armed Policing Unit (DRAP) carried out a tactical stop on the car and arrested Drummond on suspicion of several offences.

Drummond, of no fixed abode, was charged with several offences, including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving with no insurance.

He was also charged with escaping lawful custody and criminal damage to a pair of handcuffs after he ran away from hospital while receiving medical treatment following his arrest in February.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday (May 6) where he was jailed for 26 months and banned from driving for four years and one month.

A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: “Drummond is a prolific offender who shows no remorse for anyone affected by his criminal actions.

“We are pleased residents will get some respite from his offending while he is behind bars.”