A young disqualified driver who caused a serious injury accident while speeding to avoid police in a daytime chase is starting a 32-month prison sentence.
Rickylee Smith, whose 15 previous convictions are mostly for driving offences, was at the wheel of a BMW which came to police attention due to the manner of driving and the fact it appeared to contain at least three people, in mid-afternoon on August 1 this year.
Durham Crown Court was told the BMW passed the marked police vehicle in a lay-by, driving recklessly to force its way past a lorry, before turning onto the A68.
John Crawford, prosecuting said the blue light was applied on the police vehicle as the officer at the wheel began to give chase to Smith, who drove the wrong way down the A68.
Mr Crawford said at one stage the police driver lost sight of the BMW, which reached an estimated speed of 90-miles per hour after performing, “numerous dangerous overtaking manoeuvres”.
Two of Smith’s passengers exited the BMW, one as it was taking a corner.
Mr Crawford said Smith drove at 60mph in 30-limit areas in Shildon, cutting across junctions and roundabouts.
The police driver giving chase decided to end his pursuit due to the danger of the situation, but a short time later other officers took up the pursuit again as the BMW passed their vehicles.
Mr Crawford said Smith’s driving remained dangerous and, on trying to overtake a van on a blind corner, collided with an oncoming Audi A3 driven by a female motorist.
She suffered serious injuries, initially fearing paralysis, and went on to spend a week in hospital with a broken ankle that required surgery to fit two screws as part of the healing process, and from which she has yet to fully recover, either physically or mentally.
The driver of the van Smith was trying to overtake was forced off the road into a field, suffering a sore neck and a cut to the knee.
Read more: Teenage Durham dangerous driver given six months to stay out of trouble
Despite leaving two people injured in damaged vehicles, Smith fled on foot, and was last seen running down the road in the direction of Old Eldon.
Mr Crawford said a dna match on an activated air bag in the BMW led to Smith's arrest four weeks later when he made no comment having been asked who was driving.
But, appearing before magistrates, on September 30, the now 24-year-old defendant, of Hereford Street, Leeholme, near Bishop Auckland, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, plus driving while disqualified and without insurance.
The court heard he served an eight-month young offenders’ institution sentence for dangerous driving in 2018, and is in breach of a community order for further driving offences from last year, which led to him being banned from the roads until October 25, 2024.
Lewis Kerr, in mitigation, said the defendant, “clearly has a lot of work to do to address his issues”, adding that he faces his first custodial sentence in an adult prison as a result of his latest offending.
Recorder Tom Moran told Smith: “You engaged in a police pursuit in a powerful car when you shouldn’t have even been on the road at all, as you know.
“You went for a few miles driving dangerously almost all of the time in multiple different ways.
“Your driving was idiotic, incredibly selfish and it was inevitable it would end badly, and, of course, it did.
“It’s fortunate no-one was killed, but you were a coward, running off from the scene, leaving that woman in agony, fearing she was paralysed.”
Imposing the two-year and eight months' prison term, Recorder Moran said it would have been a four-year sentence, but for the defendant’s early guilty pleas at court.
Smith was also banned from driving for four years and 11 months, from his release at the mid-point in his sentence.
Read next:
Businessman driving BMW M3 led police on car chase from Durham to Washington
Driver in County Durham police chase swerved to avoid bin wagon
County Durham man caused head-on collision after taking traffic island in wrong direction
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