Two police officers were fortunate to escape death when a motorist sent their vehicle cartwheeling across the M1 during a 20-mile high-speed chase.
Horrified colleagues in another police car behind captured on camera the moment Gregory Mark Day, of Huddersfield, risked the lives of police constables Stephen Jackson and Roger Lord.
He collided with their BMW5 sending it out of control as he tried to force his way past.
The car was flipped into the air spinning over before landing back on its wheels straddling the hard shoulder and inside lane, leaving debris littering the carriageway.
Jailing Day for a total of 42 months at Leeds Crown Court after watching the footage, Recorder Charles Ekins told him: “It is frankly a miracle the two police officers in that vehicle have suffered no lasting injury, although those they did suffer were unpleasant.”
“You drove in a fashion in which you were lucky to escape unscathed. To say it was dangerous is an understatement.”
Day, 37 of Leeds Road, Deighton, admitted criminal damage reckless whether life was endangered, dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen. He was banned from driving for three years.
Nigel Wray prosecuting said the chase began in the early hours of March 2 last year when Sgt Donna Roden and PC Ian Sykes noticed a Vauxhall Insignia travelling north at high speed at junction 32 of the motorway in South Yorkshire.
Day was the driver with his girlfriend as a front seat passenger and they began to follow to check his speed.
When he reached up to 120mph, averaging 95mph to the next junction they put on their blue lights and siren but he ignored them moving between lanes. He drove past junction 35 at 85mph reaching roadworks where the limit was 50mph still doing 70mph.
He then suddenly pulled off the motorway at the next junction ignoring a red light at the roundabout forcing two cars to brake to avoid a collision before taking the slip road back on to the M1.
He then accelerated away reaching 110 mph as he approached junction 37. The officers were then joined in the pursuit by the other police car containing PCs Jackson and Lord who were ahead of Day and trying to slow him down.
He swerved violently from outer lane to inner lane and at one stage hit the concrete reservation barrier causing his front bumper to come off but managing to get past the officers for a short time before they were able to overtake him again.
Mr Wray said Day was still driving over the speed limit when he closed up behind the police car and tried to get through between it and the barrier.
Trying to force his way through he collided with the police car sending it out of control. “It flipped over spinning in the air before coming to rest finally with its wheels straddling the hard shoulder and the carriageway.”
Sgt Roden’s vehicle carried on the pursuit knowing following officers would help her injured colleagues.
Day again left the motorway at Woolley Edge Services only to rejoin the M1 again doing over 80mph when he entered another set of roadworks limited to 50mph.
Mr Wray said at junction 42 he joined the M62 travelling westbound but West Yorkshire officers in several vehicles closed in around him and brought him to a stop as he hit one vehicle and the Insignia was itself hit side on by another police car.
PC Jackson said he thought he was going to die when their vehicle turned over and considered it was the most frightening incident he had seen in nine years as a road traffic officer.
He had muscle and soft tissue injuries while PC Lord was off work for five weeks with his injuries, both had received counselling after suffering flashbacks.
Richard Lees for Day said he had nothing similar on his record and expected a custodial sentence for his driving that night.
“Thankfully as far as injuries are concerned the officers have been very stoic in their statements and recovered within three to four months of the incident occurring.”
