Shocking moment banned motorist crashes stolen van

Shocking moment banned motorist crashes stolen van after driving wrong way on dual carriageway in terrifying 70mph police chase

• David Munford, 39, jailed after leading cops on a high-speed motorway chase 

The moment a banned motorist crashed a stolen van after driving it down a motorway on the wrong side of the road has been captured in shocking footage.

David Munford, 39, can be seen in the video narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic as he led police on the dangerous chase through the streets of Bedworth, Warwickshire.

Traffic police began the pursuit after spotting the stolen Mercedes Sprinter van on cloned plates in Northamptonshire on September 3.

The chase crossed counties as Munford sped down the M6 motorway before he began recklessly hurtling in the wrong direction along the A444 at 70 miles per hour.

Innocent drivers were forced to take evasive action while officers were forced to abandon the pursuit due to the risk of a head-on collision with the public.

David Munford, 39, has been sentenced to four months in prison after driving dangerously in a stolen van while disqualified

Pictured, a motorbike inside the van, which had been stolen from an address in Coventry

The crash scene on Newtown Road, Bedworth. The Mercedes Sprinter van was stolen and had cloned plates

A police helicopter continued to track the vehicle with onboard cameras capturing the dramatic chase as Mumford carried on to Newtown Road, Bedworth.

Suddenly, he can be seen ploughing into another vehicle at high speed before trying to escape on foot along with his passenger.

Mumford was quickly arrested by Warwickshire Police officers who discovered a motorbike inside the van, which had been stolen from an address in Coventry.

The van itself had been separately stolen from a delivery driver in Coventry on August 21.

Pictured, footage taken from a police helicopter showing the moment the van crashed

Pictured, the moment the two men were arrested in Northamptonshire on September 3

The passengers in the other vehicle hit by Mumford were later taken to hospital for minor injuries

The chase crossed counties as Munford sped down the M6 motorway before he began recklessly hurtling in the wrong direction along the A444 at 70 miles per hour

The passengers in the other vehicle hit by Mumford were later taken to hospital for minor injuries.

Mumford was found guilty of dangerous driving, possession of cannabis, driving while disqualified and without insurance, and receiving stolen goods.

Mumford, of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was jailed for four months yesterday (Tuesday 3), banned from driving for 45 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.

PC Halfacree, from Bedworth Patrol Investigations Unit, said afterwards: ‘It’s a miracle that no one was killed as a result of Mumford’s reckless driving.

‘Frankly, even a provisional licence holder should know that driving the wrong way up a 70mph max road is a phenomenally bad idea.

‘We’d like to say a huge thank you to Northamptonshire Police for their vigilance in identifying the vehicle and pursuing it as far as possible.

‘We are happy that some good came out of this in the seizure of the intact stolen motorbike, and in that we’ve given Mr Mumford some time to consider his life choices and the people he has hurt.’

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