An ‘idiot’ driver who caused a multi-car collision when he overtook two other vehicles ahead of a blind dip in the road has been banned from the roads for a year.

Peter Seaton was making his way home from managing a care home when he lost patience with slow moving traffic and tried to overtake a lorry and a car causing an oncoming driver to lose control of her car.

The 54-year-old’s dangerous driving left the woman’s car severely damaged before she collided with a van when her steering failed as a result of the impact.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant was branded ‘an idiot’ by the van due to his dangerous manoeuvre on the A684 between Northallerton and Ellerbeck at around 5.40pm on February 16.

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Ellen Wright, prosecuting, said the woman drove out of the dip, lost control of her car and collided with a van as she didn’t have time to react to Seaton’s oncoming car.

The court heard how an HGV driver had captured part of the incident on dashcam footage, which was shown to the judge.

Miss Wright added: “She lost steering to her vehicle due to the damage sustained in the collision (with Seaton’s car) and she subsequently collided with a van being driven by another witness.

“He described Seaton as an idiot and said he only had a split second to react before the collision took place.”

The court heard how the crash had left the woman anxious whenever she drives along the same road after suffering whiplash in the incident.

Seaton, of Rockbourne Way, Ingleby Barwick, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.

Stephen Constantine, in mitigation, said his client had been under pressure throughout the Covid pandemic, was facing losing his job at the time of the crash and had since been replaced in his role at the care home.

He said: “His position was being reviewed, additional stresses about job security, on reflection that is the only way he can explain this impulsive and impatient action – he was going home after a hard day at work.”

Judge Jonathan Carroll sentenced Seaton to six-months in custody, suspended for 18 months.

He said: “You were driving home at a tome of day when many people are on the road – people driving home, people driving kids to or from out-of-school activities and pedestrians – going about their everyday business.

“You got into your car and drove it dangerously, it’s not a right to drive a vehicle it is a privilege.”

Seaton was also ordered to take part in 200 hours of unpaid work and pay the two other motorists £600 each in compensation.

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